Can you still file a revised ITR for FY25? Here is what you should do if you made mistakes in ITR or missed filing

The Income Tax Return filing deadline for non-audit purposes ended on September 16, 2025, for the financial year 2024-25 (FY25) after the IT department extended the due date twice. The original deadline of July 31, 2025 was extended to September 15, as there were many changes in ITR forms this year. 

Then, on September 15, the IT department announced a one-day extension to help taxpayers file their ITRs after thousands complained about glitches on the IT portal. 

If you filed your ITR before the deadline but made any mistakes or omissions, you can still revise your original filing and rectify errors. 

Mistakes can range from entering incorrect personal details to failing to declare a source of income, or even forgetting to claim a deduction. 

Taxpayers can file a revised return under Section 139 (5) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, before December 31, 2025. 

How to file a revised ITR

Here are the steps you can follow to revise your ITR:

• Log in to the Income Tax portal

• Go to e-File and click on Income Tax Return

• Click on ‘File Income Tax Return’ and select the relevant assessment year

• Choose Revised Return under Section 139(5)

• Rectify errors by filling in the correct details and mentioning the acknowledgement number of the original ITR

• Submit your revised return

Key things to know about revised returns

• If there is any additional tax liability, you may have to pay interest on the unpaid tax from the due date until you file the revised return and make the payment.

• You can file a revised ITR any time before December 31 of the relevant Assessment Year or before the completion of the assessment, whichever is earlier.

• One can file a revised return even if their refund has already been processed.

What if you missed filing ITR?

If you missed filing your ITR for FY25, you must know that you can still file a belated return before December 31. While there will be a late fee applicable on the return, you must file the ITR before December 31 to avoid further penalties or notices from the IT department. 

Belated returns, under Section 139(1), attract these penalties:

• For those with an annual income above ₹5 lakh, a penalty of ₹5,000 would be applicable.

• If the taxpayer’s annual income is below ₹5 lakh, a penalty of ₹1,000 would be applicable. 

“As per section 234F, late filing fees of ₹5,000 shall be payable if the return is furnished after the due date specified under section 139(1). However, the amount of late filing fees to be paid shall be ₹1,000 if the total income of the person does not exceed ₹5 lakhs,” as per the IT department. 

While you can claim a refund through a belated return, you can’t change your tax regime after the due date, which means that you may get stuck with a higher tax liability and receive lower refunds. Also, taxpayers lose several benefits if they miss the deadline, like carrying forward losses for the future and claiming certain deductions. 

Further, you can also revise your belated return before December 31, if needed. 

What if you miss the belated return deadline?

In case you fail to file a belated return before December 31, you can file an Updated Return (ITR-U) under Section 139(8A).

However, note that you can’t file ITR-U to claim any extra deductions or reduce your tax liability. Additionally, there are penalties for filing ITR-U. 

ITR-U can be filed within four years from the end of the relevant assessment year. The penalties depend on when you file it, like if you file ITR-U within 12 months from the end of the assessment year, a penalty of an additional 25% of the aggregate tax and interest will be applicable.

• Filed within 12 months: 25% of an additional tax on aggregate tax and interest

• Filed between 12 and 24 months: 50% of an additional tax on aggregate tax and interest

• Filed between 24 and 36 months: 60% of an additional tax on aggregate tax and interest

• Filed between 36 and 48 months: 70% of an additional tax on aggregate tax and interest

Hence, you should always aim to check all information correctly before filing your tax return. If you’re filing a revised return, be extra careful to ensure that you’ve filled everything correctly to avoid penalties on ITR-U. 

Rectifying errors is necessary, as the IT department may issue a notice for mistakes in the original return. Your refund may also be delayed if there are mistakes in your filing. 

Moreover, remember that failure to pay taxes can attract interest, penalty and prosecution. 

“Non-payment of tax attracts interest, penalty and prosecution. The prosecution can lead to rigorous imprisonment from 3 months to 2 years (when the tax sought to be evaded exceeds ₹25,00,000, the punishment could be 6 months to 7 years),” the IT department website says. 

So, if you’ve not filed your ITR yet, do it before December 31, or rectify errors (if any) by filing a revised ITR before the year ends.