No plan to extend ITR deadline, says govt

“There is absolutely no proposal to extend the filing date,” revenue secretary Tarun Bajaj said, adding that the number of income tax returns filed is considerably higher compared to last year, signifying a smooth filing process.

“ITR filing is going on very smoothly. By 3pm on Friday, 56.2 million returns were filed. Today, people have filed more than 2 million returns, which is the highest. In the last one hour, 344,000 returns have been filed. So, if returns are being filed in such numbers, I see no reason for anybody to claim (to have missed deadline for technical reasons),” he said.

“Last year, on 30 December, 48.3 million returns were filed. So, 6 million more returns have been filed in the same (period) compared to the last year when the closing date was the same,” he added.

“I expect another 2-2.5 million returns to come by midnight. And, I think, the figures that we are anticipating would have come… The income tax return filing is going on very smoothly,” he said.

On a question that some people may have faced difficulties in filing their income tax returns due to the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus, Bajaj said: “How is Omicron stopping you? You have to sit with your laptop to file the return. Your chartered accountant also has to do that.”