5.9 crore ITRs filed by July 31:ITR deadline is now over; late filers face up to ₹5,000 penalty

The last date to file an Income Tax Return (ITR) for the financial year 2025-26 without any penalty and interest, July 31, has passed. According to the Income Tax Department, more than 5.9 crore taxpayers across the country have filed their ITRs by this deadline, i.e., July 31. This deadline was for individual taxpayers (ITR-1 and ITR-2) who are not required to get their accounts audited. IT Department provided information on ‘X’ The Income Tax Department informed on Saturday on the social media platform ‘X’ that there has been an excellent response from taxpayers. The department wrote, “More than 5.9 crore ITRs have been filed for 2025-26 by July 31.” However, this number still appears lower than last year, because in the previous financial year 2024-25, the government had extended the deadline to September 16, 2025, by which time a total of more than 7.3 crore returns were filed. ITR-1 (Sahaj): The Most Used Form ITR Form 1, also known as ‘Sahaj’, is very simple. It is widely used by small and medium-class taxpayers in the country. Who can file: This form is for Indian residents whose annual income is up to ₹50 lakh. Source of income: It includes income from salary, income from one house property, income from other sources (like interest), and agricultural income up to ₹5,000 annually. ITR-2: For taxpayers with income other than business and with Capital Gains ITR-2 form is filed by individuals and Hindu Undivided Families (HUF) who: What to do if the July 31st deadline is missed? If for some reason you could not file your ITR by July 31st, there is no need to worry. You can still file a belated return: