Budget 2026: Why fixed ITR due dates and faster refunds matter for taxpayers

Bringing certainty to ITR due dates

The 31st July ITR deadline is regularly extended, causing confusion and last-minute pressure. “A permanent shift of the due date to 31st August would improve compliance and reduce stress for taxpayers,” said Abhishek Soni, CEO & Co-founder, Tax2win.

Real-time income tax refund tracking dashboard

Key elements of Deloitte India’s proposed system include:

• A dedicated dashboard on the CBDT portal that shows each stage of refund processing clearly and sequentially.

• Status labels such as “Under Processing,” “Approved,” “Transferred to Bank,” and “Credited,” along with indicative timelines for each stage.

• A “Raise Concern” option allowing taxpayers to report delays directly, reducing the need for repeated manual follow-ups.

• Automated SMS and email notifications, integrated with the grievance redressal system, to keep taxpayers informed of any progress or issues.

Union Budget 2026

This was the first time since the presentation of India's first independent budget on November 26, 1947, that the documents containing the income and expenditure statement of the Union government, along with the finance bill, detailing new taxes and other measures for the new financial year, were not physically printed at mass scale.