Over 5.9 crore taxpayers file ITRs by July 31 for AY 2026-27
New Delhi, Aug 1
More than 5.9 crore income tax returns have been filed for the Assessment Year 2026-27 by the July 31 deadline, the Income Tax Department said on Saturday, while thanking taxpayers for their timely compliance.
In a post on social media platform X, the department said, "Thank you, taxpayers! Over 5.9 crore ITRs were filed for AY 2026-27 by July 31st! Your trust and timely compliance provide the energy that fuels India's growth."
The latest figures indicate that over 40 lakh returns were filed on the final day, as taxpayers rushed to meet the July 31 due date for individuals and entities that are not required to get their accounts audited.
The filing momentum gathered pace sharply in the final weeks before the deadline.
The department had earlier said that more than 1.7 crore ITRs had been filed by July 11 -- which rose to over 3 crore by July 22.
Later, the number crossed 4 crore by July 27, exceeded 5 crore on July 31 and reached more than 5.5 crore before the close of filing on Friday, before finally crossing the 5.9-crore mark.
In addition, the Income Tax Department had repeatedly urged taxpayers not to wait until the last moment and to complete the filing process well before the deadline to avoid possible technical glitches and heavy traffic on the e-filing portal.
For AY 2026-27, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) notified revised ITR forms incorporating updated disclosure requirements. These include reporting norms relating to long-term capital gains, losses arising from share buybacks and certain trading transactions among other changes aimed at improving transparency and simplifying tax compliance.
Last year, more than 9 crore taxpayers filed income tax returns during FY 2024-25, while the Income Tax Department issued refunds worth over Rs 4.35 lakh crore, highlighting the growing scale of India's direct tax administration.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Honest question: Why do we always wait for the 11th hour? 😅 This year, I filed in June itself and it was smooth. The new ITR forms with extra disclosures are a bit confusing though. Wish they could simplify the tax regime further. But kudos to the IT department for processing so many returns.
Impressive numbers! 5.9 crore is no small feat. The transparency about deadlines and the constant reminders on X were helpful. But I think the department could do more outreach for first-time taxpayers, especially in smaller towns. Filing taxes is still daunting for many.
Good to see the numbers going up each year. I just wish the CBDT would make the forms less complicated - the new capital gains and share buyback details took me a while to understand. Anyway, have filed mine. 🙏 Thanks to the IT team for their hard work!
I have been paying taxes for 25+ years. While the digital push is good, I remember when we used to queue up at the ward office - those days were tough. The e-filing portal works well now, but I hope they never forget the senior citizens who are not tech-savvy. A little more help for them would be great.
5.9 crore, wow! 🇮🇳 But let's be honest - the real challenge is the refund process. Last year, I had to wait months for my refund. Let's hope they speed that up this time. Filing on time is one thing, getting the refund on time is another.
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