Govt extends ITR filing deadline for FY21 to March 15

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on Tuesday further extended the due date for filing of income tax returns for financial year 2020-21 (assessment year 2021-22) to March 15.

The move, according to the government, comes after taking into account the challenges faced by taxpayers amid the ongoing third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and in electronic filing of various reports of audit under the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (the Act).

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) had earlier extended the last date for filing ITRs for the assessment year 2021-22 till December 31. This was announced after taxpayers faced technical glitches on the new income tax portal developed by Infosys.

The Ministry of Finance had last year summoned Salil Parekh, the top boss of India’s second largest IT services firm, to explain about the glitches in the functioning of the e-filing portal since its launch in June 2021. In 2019, Infosys bagged the contract from the IT department to develop the new e-filing portal. The government had approved a total outlay of ₹4,242 crore for the project.

Here are the details from the government’s press release today:

1. The due date of furnishing of Report of Audit under any provision of the Act for the Previous Year 2020-21, which was 30th September, 2021, in the case of assessees referred in clause (a) of Explanation 2 to sub-section (1) of section 139 of the Act, as extended to 31st October, 2021 and 15th January, 2022 by Circular No.9/2021 dated 20.05.2021 and Circular No.17/2021 dated 09.09.2021 respectively, is further extended to 15th February, 2022;

2. The due date of furnishing of Report of Audit under any provision of the Act for the Previous Year 2020-21, which was 31st October, 2021, in the case of assessees referred in clause (aa) of Explanation 2 to sub-section (1) of section 139 of the Act, is extended to 15th February, 2022;

3. The due date of furnishing of Report from an Accountant by persons entering into international transaction or specified domestic transaction under section 92E of the Act for the Previous Year 2020-21, which was 31st October 2021, as extended to 30th November, 2021 and 31st January, 2022 by Circular No.9/2021 dated 20.05.2021 and Circular No.17/2021 dated 09.09.2021 respectively, is further extended to 15th February, 2022;

4. The due date of furnishing of Return of Income for the Assessment Year 2021-22, which was 31st October, 2021 under sub-section (1) of section 139 of the Act, as extended to 30th November, 2021 and 15th February, 2022 by Circular No.9/2021 dated 20.05.2021 and Circular No.17/2021 dated 09.09.2021 respectively, is further extended to 15th March, 2022;

5. The due date of furnishing of Return of Income for the Assessment Year 2021-22, which was 30th November, 2021 under sub-section (1) of section 139 of the Act, as extended to 31st December, 2021 and 28th February, 2022 by Circular No.9/2021 dated 20.05.2021 and Circular No.17/2021 dated 09.09.2021 respectively, is further extended to 15th March, 2022.