Extension of due date of 31st July for filing ITR for AY 2017-18 to 5th August, 2017 CBDT Order u/s 119
The CBDT has extended the due date of 31st July, 2017 to 5th August, 2017
The extension was first declared through Income Tax Department Twitter handle and later on by Press Release which is followed by order u/s 119.
CBDT has also extended due date for filing ITR and all audit reports for AY 2017-18 to 31st October, 2017 Click Here to read order >>
CBDT order for Extension of date for filing of Income Tax Return
F. No. 225/270/2017/ITA.II
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue
Central Board of Direct Taxes
North Block, ITA II, Division
New Delhi, 31st July, 2017
Order under Section 119 of the Income-tax Act, 1961
The ‘due-date’ for filing income-tax returns for Assessment-Year 2017-2018 is 31.07.2017 for certain categories of taxpayers. It has been reported that some of the taxpayers are facing difficulties in filing their tax-returns due to various reasons including technical difficulties .
2. The Central Board of Direct Taxes, in exercise of powers conferred under section 119 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (‘Act’), hereby extends the ‘due-date’, as prescribed under section 139(1) of the Act, for filing returns of income from 31st July, 2017 to 5th August,2017 in cases of all taxpayers who are liable to file their income-tax return by the said ‘due-date’.
3. Further, for the purpose of filing return, it shall be sufficient as of now to quote Aadhar or Aadhar Enrolment Number. The actual linking of PAN with Aadhar can be done subsequently, but any time before 31st August, 2017. However, these returns shall not be processed u/s 143(1) until the linkage of Aadhar with PAN is completed.
(Ankita Pandey)
Under-Secretary to the Government of India
Earlier Discussions on the topic:
Extension of due date of 31st July for filing ITR for AY 2017-18. There is every reason that due date should be extended. However as reported in media, unnamed officials of Income tax Department have stated that the deadline of 31st July, 2017 shall not be extended.
Reasons why ITR due date extension is most desirable
Reason No. 1
Linking of Aadhaar to PAN
The linking of Aadhaar to PAN has become a pain particularly in view of the mismatche of name/data between the Aadhaar and PAN. Also in a vast number of cases, mobile number of the user is not existent in Aadhaar and Aadhaar centres are full of long queue. Thus, still there are lakhs of Aadhaar which are either yet to be updated with mobile number or linked with ITD.
Though the Income Tax Department had eased out the process by providing a quick link for linking of Aadhaar to PAN with OTP based matching in case of minor mismatch, now the said the quick link for linking of Aadhaar to PAN hosted at home page of income tax e-filing website is not working and is redirected to user login. In other words, now on, Aadhaar can be linked only through “Link Aadhaar”option under profile menu after login to user account.
Infact, the process of linking Aadhaar is not instantaneous and it is taking long time. When attempted, the e-filing portal is only displays that “Your request for Aadhaar PAN linking is pending for processing.”
The news that now ITR can be filed without Aadhaar linking has not been found to be correct.
Reason No. 2
Income tax e-filing website Server is going down persistently
Since couple of days, the income tax e-filing portal is showing the sign of overlaod and going down persitently which is only frustrating the users who are painstakingly and relentlessly trying to file their returns.
Even today at the last day (i.e. 31st July, 2017) the serve of e-filing portal is down. the screenshot taken at 11:45 AM is as under:
Yesterday also such problem was there. Screenshot taken yesterday was as under:
Yesterday, when trying to submit online ITR, the return is not getting uploaded and the session is repeatedly getting expired with the following message:
However, today not only the e-filing website but the main portal of the income tax department http://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/ is also down with the following message:
Therefore, in view of the above the so called reported statement of unnamed official of the Income tax Department that the due date shall not be extended is indeed a callous statement and there is every reason that the due date of 31st july, 2017 for filing of income tax return should be extended.
With only two days to dealine, the congestion at the portal is likely to get even more worse.
Reason No. 3
Devastating Flood due to heavy rain in the different areas of the country will be another reason for the extension of due date to file Income tax return. However this may be restricted to States/areas affected
Note: The above views only represent the views of the author. The readers should exercise their own discretion on the subject
To what penalty are you exposed to if the date is not extended and you could not filed your ITR by the deadline?
Please do not panic. If for any reason you can not file your ITR on or before the deadline of 31st July. As per provisions of section 139(4) related to belated filing of returns, you can file your income tax return for AY 2017-18 at any time till 31st March, 2018 without any penalty. However, you will have to pay interest u/s 234A for delayed return @ 1% p.m. on the amount of tax payable (as reduced by advance tax paid and TDS)
Devastating Flood due to heavy rain in the different areas of the country will be another reason for the extension of due date to file Income tax return.