The Central Board of Direct Taxes stated that it shall not grant any further extensions for return filing where audit reports need to be filed. This order was passed in compliance with the Gujarat High Court directions that directed the finance ministry to look into the matter of extension of ITR due date. The court had passed an order on the All India Gujarat Federation of Tax Consultants petition. The body had made representation seeking an extension of due dates last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Income Tax Return<\/a><\/strong> Due date filing for the annual year 2020-21 was extended to 30th<\/sup> November 2020. Subsequently, the due dates for filing of returns were extended further to 31st<\/sup> January 2021. These were for cases in which a tax audit report is needed to be filed under the Income Tax Act and 31st<\/sup> December for all other cases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Further, the above mentioned due dates were extended vide notification S.O 4805 (E) to 15th<\/sup> February and 10th<\/sup> January 2021, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the provisions of the Income Tax Act, the due date for filing a tax audit report is one month before the ITR due date. Therefore the ITR due date was extended to 31st<\/sup> October, 31st<\/sup> December and further to 15th<\/sup> January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The table made below summarizes the various due dates extensions provided-<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n S.No.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Action <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Due Date (Original)<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1st<\/sup> Extension<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n 2nd<\/sup> Extension<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n 3rd<\/sup> Extension <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 1.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Return for Non-audit cases<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 31st<\/sup> July, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 30th<\/sup> November, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 31st<\/sup> December, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 10th <\/sup> January, 2021<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 2.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Tax audit<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 30th<\/sup> September, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 31st<\/sup> October, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 31st<\/sup> December, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 15th <\/sup> January, 2021<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n 3.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Return for tax audit cases<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 31st<\/sup> October, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 30th<\/sup> November, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 31st<\/sup> January, 2021<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 15th <\/sup> February, 2021<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n Therefore it is quite clear that the government has been considering the representations of various stakeholders, and it has also been proactive in giving relaxation to the taxpayers by extending the due dates at regular intervals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If we consider and look at the relaxation of similar nature provided by other countries worldwide, we find that India has been very empathetic to the needs of the taxpayers when compared with other economies globally, stated CBDT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No other country has extended the Income Tax Return Due date as much as India has extended. Countries that have been hit worse by Covid-19, such as the US, UK, etc., have been less lenient and have either provided no or lesser extensions in due dates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The table made below explains the extensions provided by different countries worldwide-<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Country<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Financial Period<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Individual<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Corporate<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Due Date<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Extended Date<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Due Date<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Extended Date<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n United States of America<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 2019<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 15th<\/sup> April, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 15th<\/sup> October, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 15th<\/sup> April, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 15th<\/sup> October, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n United Kingdom<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 2019-2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 31st<\/sup> January, 2021<\/p>\n<\/td>\n No extension<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 31st<\/sup> December, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n No extension<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n South Africa<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 2019<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 16th<\/sup> November, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n No extension<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 31st<\/sup> December, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n No extension<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Australia<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 2018-19<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 5th<\/sup> May, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 5th<\/sup> June, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 15th<\/sup> May, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 5th<\/sup> June, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Netherlands<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 2019<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1st<\/sup> May, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n No extension<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1st<\/sup> June, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n No extension<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Ireland<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 2019<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 12th<\/sup> November, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 10th <\/sup> December, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 12th<\/sup> November, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 10th <\/sup> December, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Canada<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 2019<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 30th<\/sup> April, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 30th <\/sup> September, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n May-august 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 30th <\/sup> September, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Brazil<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 2019<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 1st<\/sup> March, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 30th<\/sup> April, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 30th<\/sup> April, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 30th<\/sup> June, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Singapore<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 2019<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 18th<\/sup> April, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 31st<\/sup> May, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 15th <\/sup> December, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n 15th <\/sup> January, 2020<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n The table displays that the government has analyzed the need of the hour and has been proactive in analyzing the situation and in providing relief. However, it must be appreciated filing of tax returns or audit reports is an essential obligation for the assessee. The High Court stated that it can’t be delayed indefinitely as the majority of the functions of the Income Tax Department commence once the returns are filed by the assessee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Filing of returns also results in the collection of taxes through the payment of self assessment tax<\/a><\/strong> or by the collection by the department post processing or assessment of the tax returns. The collection of tax is of great importance in these times and considering the fact that the Indian government would need revenue to carry out relief work and to carry out other responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Delay in filing of returns can affect tax collection and also other welfare functions of the state. The Central Board of Direct Taxes maintained that sufficient time had been provided to taxpayers file their income tax returns, and already many of them have filed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The CBDT stressed the fact that already the Income Tax Return Due date has been extended thrice, and internationally the extension provided by India is more generous when compared with other countries globally. Moreover, as per return filing statistics of the current year, returns filed in the present financial year far exceed the returns filed, which were due on the last date of filing returns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The CBDT believes that any further extension of due dates may adversely affect the return filing discipline and can also cause injustice to those who have filed the return well before time. It can further postpone the revenue collection, thereby hampering the government efforts to provide relief to the poor during times such as these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore, all the representations seeking further extension of the Income Tax Return Due date are rejected.<\/p>\n\n\n\nVarious Income Tax Returns Due Dates Extension<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Comparing due dates extensions of India with other countries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Gujarat High Court upholds the decision of CBDT<\/h2>\n\n\n\n