Over 55 million tax returns filed by Friday noon

The Income Tax department on Friday said more than 55 million income-tax returns (ITRs) were filed for Assessment Year 2026-27.

The department said in a social media post at around Friday noon, 'Over 5.5 crore (55 million) ITRs have already been filed for AY 2026-27 with over 4,200,000 filed on July 30 alone. File now, file calmly!'

The department has been urging taxpayers, particularly those eligible to file simpler forms such as ITR-1 (Sahaj) and ITR-2, to complete the process early.

ITR-1 (Sahaj) is meant for resident individuals with total income up to ₹50 lakh from salary/pension, up to two house properties subject to eligibility conditions, eligible income from other sources, and certain specified long-term capital gains.

ITR-2 is for individuals and Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) having income from capital gains, foreign assets, or other income not eligible for ITR-1, but not having business or professional income.

Last year, the original July 31 deadline for AY 2025-26 was extended well in advance to September 15 due to structural changes in the ITR forms and system readiness. It was further extended by one day to September 16 because of technical issues on the e-filing portal.

By the extended deadline, over 73 million ITRs had been filed.

The current year's figure is not strictly comparable as the July 31 deadline this year mainly covers ITR-1 and ITR-2 filers, while non-audit business cases have time till August 31.

"Any comparison between the two years should take into account that the current figure largely reflects filings from taxpayers filing ITR-1 and ITR-2, while the filing season remains open for certain categories of non-audit cases, for which the due date extends until August 31. As a result, additional returns are expected to be filed and the current AY 2026-27 tally does not represent the final filing outcome for the year," said Hitesh Sawhney, partner with Price Waterhouse & Co LLP.

Richard Sawhney, partner with Grant Thornton, said that a marked concentration of filings is often witnessed close to the due date.

"It is always advisable to avoid last-minute filing and complete the compliance process well in advance. Early filing provides adequate time to reconcile information reported in Form 26AS, Annual Information System  and other records, address discrepancies, and minimise the need for subsequent rectifications."

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