A social media campaign is gaining momentum as tax professionals, Chartered Accountants (CAs), and taxpayers across India demand an extension of the Income Tax Return (ITR) and Tax Audit Report (TAR) due dates.
India’s tax professionals, businesses, and individual taxpayers find themselves under intense stress as the compliance calendar last date is reaching. With Income Tax Return (ITR) deadlines for non-audit cases on September 15 and Tax Audit Reports (TAR) due by September 30, social media is buzzing with one demand: extend the deadlines immediately.
On platform X (formerly Twitter), the hashtag #extend_ITR_TAR_duedates is trending, with users tagging the Finance Ministry, @IncomeTaxIndia, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Many expressed frustration over what they call an “unrealistic compliance calendar.”
Reason for ITR extension
The reasons for the demand to extend ITR deadlines are not just about workload but about practical difficulties faced by professionals on the ground. A widely shared infographic outlines several key challenges:
- Heavy Compliance Month:
September is packed with multiple deadlines, including GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, TDS, ITR filing, Tax Audit, AGMs, and scrutiny notices. With so many filings overlapping, professionals are struggling to manage them all. - Late Release of Utilities:
The utilities for ITR-5, ITR-6, and ITR-7 were released only on September 6, 2025. This left very little time for businesses, firms, and trusts to prepare and file returns correctly. - Flood Situations in Several States:
Heavy rainfall and floods in different regions have made it difficult for professionals and taxpayers to collect documents, reconcile accounts, or even access reliable internet. - Portal Glitches and GST Rule Changes:
Users continue to report issues with the income tax e-filing portal, including errors in data reconciliation and regime selections. At the same time, recent GST rule amendments have added another layer of confusion. - Cultural and Seasonal Factors:
The Sept 7–8 lunar eclipse and the upcoming festival season are also cited as reasons. Many small businesses say they are already occupied with seasonal sales, making compliance more stressful.
What Tax Professionals Are Saying
A CA on X wrote:
“This is not your success enablers… this is your torture enablers for us. We professionals are humans like you. 15th September and 30th September are the most stressful days for every CA.”
Another professional, CA, appealed directly to the Finance Ministry:
“Please extend due dates of Tax Audit Cases as well as Non-audit cases as many states are heavily facing rainfall and your utility too released so late. Extend TAR till 31 December.”
Many taxpayers are supporting the professionals online, pointing out that missing deadlines could attract penalties up to ₹5,000, along with disallowances.
Current Filing Status
According to data shared by tax experts, as of 5th September 2025:
- 4.66 crore ITRs filed
- 4.42 crore verified
- 3.23 crore processed
This still leaves millions of returns pending, adding to the uncertainty.
What Extensions Are Being Demanded?
Several users on social media have suggested revised timelines:
- ITR (Non-audit): October 15, 2025
- Tax Audit (TAR): November 30, 2025
- ITR (Audit Cases): December 31, 2025
Such extensions, they argue, will reduce errors, ensure compliance, and prevent small businesses, senior citizens, and rural taxpayers from being unfairly penalized.
Government’s Silence
So far, the Finance Ministry and the Income Tax Department have not made any official announcement regarding the ITR extensions. In previous years, extensions have sometimes been granted at the last moment, but the uncertainty adds further anxiety for professionals and taxpayers.
With #extend_ITR_TAR_duedates trending and thousands of posts flooding X, the demand is clearly widespread. Whether the government will respond remains to be seen.
Why This Matters Beyond Deadlines
The issue highlights a larger debate about India’s compliance system. Professionals argue that tight timelines + frequent rule changes + technical glitches are creating an environment of constant stress. For a country aiming for digital and business-friendly governance, smoother and more predictable tax processes are essential.
For now, taxpayers and professionals continue to wait anxiously, hoping the government will acknowledge the pressure and provide some breathing space.
