Income Tax department employees to work on Good Friday weekend; here’s why

This year, Good Friday falls on Friday, March 29, followed by the weekend, March 30 on Saturday, and March 31 on Sunday, which offers a mini-break for office-goers. However, the Income Tax (IT) department has cancelled the long weekend for its employees, considering the end of the financial year 2023-24.

The financial year in India begins on April 1 each year and ends on March 31 next year. The IT department said that its offices will remain open on Good Friday weekend to complete pending departmental work.

In an order dated March 18, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said, "the financial year 2023-24 closes on March 31, 2024, which is Sunday. Further, March 30, 2024, is a Saturday, and March 29, 2024, is a closed holiday. Therefore, to facilitate completion of pending departmental work, all the Income Tax Offices throughout India shall remain open on 29, 30 and 31 March 2024."

March 30 is the last date for furnishing challan statements for tax deducted under Section 194-IA, Section 194-IB and Section 194M for the month of February 2024. Also read: Looking for last-minute tax-saving investments? ELSS to PPF, 7 options you can explore

March 31 is the deadline for investing in tax-saving schemes for the financial year 2023-24, such as fixed deposit (FD), equity-linked savings scheme (ELSS), unit-linked insurance plan (ULLP) and National Pension Scheme (NPS) among others.

Updated ITR filing deadline for FY 2020-21

The last date for filing updated income tax returns (ITR-U) for the financial year 2020-21 (assessment year 2021-2022) is March 31, 2024.

ITR-U allows taxpayers to correct the errors on their ITRs up to two years from the end of the relevant assessment year.