Govt set to extend key ITR

dates amid portal glitches

Over 8 mn returns for FY21 have been filed so far, 14% of returns filed for FY20
DILASHA SETH
New Delhi 27 August

E
ven as filing income-tax returns
has picked up pace after Infosys
fixed the glitches on the site, the
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is
set to extend key deadlines in view of
the difficulties faced by the taxpayers.
Over 400,000 returns are being filed
a day for the past four days compared
to a complete halt in filings for two days
from August 21.
A senior CBDT official told Business
Standard the government would extend
the key return-filing dates, giving suffi-
cient time for the taxpayers.
“We are factoring in the delays
caused due to the technical glitches on
the new portal. The extension of dates
will be notified in the coming day or
two. It will leave taxpayers with suffi-
cient time to comply. We will ease their
nervousness,” said the official.
Over 8 million returns for FY21 have
been filed so far, which is nearly 14 per
cent of the returns filed by the last date KEY ISSUES THE DUE DATE
for FY20.  System logging out frequently
The CBDT will also release the sta-
Taxpayer Due date for
tistics on daily filings on the portal.  Users unable to file returns for category filing FY21 tax
“Things are settling down and that minors Individual/HUF/ Sept 30 (extended
can be seen from the returns and form  Digital signature certificate not
filing. These are early days. September AOP/BOI from July 31)
getting registered or updated
has not come. 8 million is a good num- Businesses Nov 30 (extended
ber for a portal that struggled to settle.  New incorporated companies
audit) from Oct 31)
These are tell-tale sign that things are not able to register themselves
settling down,” said the official. Businesses Dec 31 (extended
 'Forget password option' not
The last date for filing returns by (requiring TP report) from Nov 30)
salaried persons and those whose
working
accounts need not be audited was  ITRs in PDF can't be downloaded \HUF: Hindu undivided family; AOP: An association of persons;
BOI: Body of individuals; TP report: Transfer pricing report
extended to September 30 from July 31.
For tax audit cases (companies mainly),
the due date has been extended to About 58 million income-tax returns period for individual taxpayers to file
November 30 from September 30. were filed in January, the last day for their returns. An overload of users may
Union Finance Minister Nirmala individuals to file returns for FY20, with even cause the website to crash,” he said.
Sitharaman has given Infosys, which close to 2 million returns filed on the On the other hand, some of the other
has developed the new portal, time till last day. forms due to be filed by September end,
September 15 to fix the problems. Last year, the government had such as Form 10BBB and Form II SWF,
However, this would mean that indi- extended the date for filing income-tax are unavailable as of now,
viduals would have only 15 days to file returns for individuals three times — Jhunjhunwala added.
returns if the date is not extended. first from July 31 to November 30, 2020, PAN-Aadhaar linking is due by
The income-tax return in ITR-1 Sahaj then to December 31, 2020, and finally September 30, 2021. Therefore, in order
is filed by individuals whose income is to January 10, 2021. to avoid hardships, all stakeholders are
not more than ~50 lakh. Form ITR-4 Sandeep Jhunjhunwala, partner, hoping for an extension of the time-
Sugam is for individuals, Hindu Nangia Andersen LLP, said since the lines, he said.
Undivided Families (HUFs) and firms inception of the new income-tax portal, Rajat Mohan, partner, AMRG
(other than limited liability partner- the government had stretched various Associates, said with the portal far from
ships) having an income of up to ~50 timelines either for certain forms not stable in the past few months, the gov-
lakh and with presumptive income being available or glitches. ernment was obligated to extend the
from businesses and professions. “Fifteen days would be too short a tax-filing dates.