ITR filing deadline remains intact, Income Tax department warns against 'fake news'

The deadline to file income tax returns for assessment year 2024-25 has not been extended, the Income Tax (I-T) department said in a clarification issued on social media.

The statement came in the aftermath of false information circulating on X (formerly Twitter), WhatsApp and other such platforms, claiming that the government has extended the deadline till August 31, 2024.

The deadline to file the ITRs currently remains July 31, 2024. The late filing of tax returns may draw a penalty ranging from ₹1,000 to ₹5,000, which may get further extended to ₹10,000 if the returns are filed after December 31, 2024.

Earlier this week, miscreants shared an edited clip of Gujarati daily Sandesh News that claimed the ITR filing deadline has been extended till August 31. Taking cognisance of the fake news, the I-T department issued a note of caution on X.

"It has come to our knowledge that a clipping of @sandeshnews is circulating on social media regarding extension of date of e-filing of ITR. This is FAKE news. (sic)," the I-T department tweeted.

"Taxpayers are advised to follow updates from the official website/portal of @IncomeTaxIndia," it added.

In an update issued on July 22, the department noted that a total of 4 crore ITRs were filed, which was 8% higher as compared to the same date last year.

"While the milestone of filing of 1 crore of ITRs for AY 2024-25 arrived on 23rd June 2024, the 2 crore milestone and 3 crore milestone has been achieved on 7th July and 16th July respectively which is also earlier than last year. The 4 crore milestone was achieved on 24 July last year," it said.