Chartered accountant associations and tax lawyers have urged the government to extend the income tax return (ITR) and audit deadlines for the assessment year (AY) 25-26, citing ongoing e-filing issues and form release delays.

The Karnataka State Chartered Accountants Association (KSCAA) has submitted a representation to the ministry, claiming that ITR-5, ITR-6, ITR-7, and key audit forms were only released in July and August.

Key Highlights

• Tax associations cite portal glitches, delayed utility releases, and overlapping compliance deadlines. 
• Groups request new due dates: Audit reports to November-30, ITR filings in audit cases by December 31.

"The long-standing practice of submitting ITR forms by April 1 has once again been ignored. This year's delays have been especially severe, severely limiting tax filers' preparation time," the association said, according to reports.

Furthermore, KSCAA discovered portal glitches, inconsistencies in Annual Information Statements, frequent downtimes, and error messages during peak compliance periods.

Returns claiming exemption under Sections 54/54F were incorrectly prompting for CGAS utilisation details, even when investments were fully utilised, the report stated.

Furthermore, it claimed that overlapping compliance burdens exacerbated the problems. It stated that the deadlines for filing GST, MCA, and Tax Audit reports overlap with those for filing returns. The adoption of the ICAI's Guidance Note on NCE Financials has resulted in a significant increase in audit workload due to expanded disclosures, the association stated.

According to the association, national holidays and weather-related disruptions have reduced the number of effective working days.

Also Read: ITR Extension: CAs Warn Lakhs May Miss ITR Deadline

Meanwhile, the Central India Regional Council (CIRC) of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has asked the ministry to extend the tax audit report submission deadline from September 30 to December 31, 2025, citing the same challenges mentioned by KSCAA.

Furthermore, the Advocates Tax Bar Association (ATBA) requested extensions for non-audit ITRs until October 30, tax audit reports until November 30, and ITR filings in audit cases until December 31. The new transfer pricing deadline (Form 3CEB) has been proposed for January 31, 2026.

The representations come after the government extended the non-audit ITR deadline to September 15, 2025.