Income Tax Portal Glitches: CCTAX Demands ITR and Tax Audit Deadline Extension
Filing ITR is not just a yearly ritual for taxpayers, it’s also a responsibility that requires accuracy, patience, and a lot of technical support. This year, however, lakhs of taxpayers and professionals are struggling with the same issue—persistent glitches on the income tax portal. From data mismatches in AIS and Form 26AS to sudden session timeouts and server crashes, the filing process for AY 2025–26 has become an everyday challenge.
The Chandigarh Chartered Accountants Taxation Association (CCTAX) has now formally urged the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to extend the deadline for both ITR filing and tax audit. Their argument is not about luxury or convenience, but about survival in a compliance system that is becoming increasingly difficult due to technical, environmental, and procedural roadblocks.
Why CCTAX is Asking for Extension on ITR Filing Deadlines?
CCTAX in its recent representation highlighted that taxpayers and professionals are trying hard to meet deadlines but the existing compliance calendar is simply unrealistic. Secretary of CCTAX, CA Manoj Kohli, explained that between monsoon disruptions, delayed release of utilities, and repeated glitches on the income tax portal, timely filing is nearly impossible.
While the government had already extended the ITR filing deadline to September 15, 2025 for individuals not requiring a tax audit, the association feels this relief is incomplete. The tax audit deadline of September 30, 2025 remains unchanged, and for professionals already facing technical bottlenecks, this has created immense pressure.
Technical Issues Plaguing the Income Tax Portal
Despite the efforts of the Income Tax Department, the income tax portal is still not working smoothly. Users are facing frequent upload failures, mismatch in AIS and Form 26AS data, and sometimes the portal crashes, thus wasting the entire process. These problems are not just minor glitches but are directly affecting the accuracy of filing, data reconciliation and timely compliance.
Many professionals argue that when the government is pushing for a fully digital compliance ecosystem, the backbone of the system—the portal—must be robust enough to handle the traffic and volume. Sadly, that has not been the case this year.
Impact of Natural Calamities on ITR Filing
The compliance challenges are not limited to technology alone. This year’s filing season has not been easy at all as heavy rains and storms have disrupted life in many parts of the country. The situation has become even more difficult in states like Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Assam, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh. Here electricity supply is getting cut frequently, internet connection is also not working properly and reaching offices has become almost impossible. In such a situation, tax professionals are struggling to provide timely service to their clients, which is directly affecting the ITR filing process.
When basic survival is at stake, filing ITR on time through a struggling income tax portal is an unrealistic expectation. This is one of the strong reasons CCTAX has pushed for an extension.
Delayed Utilities and ICAI’s New Format Adding to Trouble
Another major pain point this year is the delay in release of return utilities. For FY 2024–25, the utilities for ITR and tax audit were released almost three months late, only in July 2025. On top of this, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) has introduced a new reporting format for non-corporate entities. This includes standardized vertical balance sheets, comparative figures, and revised reporting structures.
For professionals, this means new training, software updates, and adjustments. For taxpayers, it means longer delays, confusion, and increased dependency on professionals who are already short of time. With a compressed compliance window of only 45 days, accuracy and quality of submissions are at risk.
Present Filing Status Shows the Bigger Problem
Statistics paint a worrying picture. As of August 20, 2025, only 3.35 crore returns had been filed compared to 7.41 crore returns by the same date last year. That’s a shortfall of nearly 55%. With just 25 days left to meet the current deadline, taxpayers would have to file more than 15 lakh returns daily to catch up—a number that is practically unachievable with the current pace and technical issues on the income tax portal.
This backlog is not just a number; it reflects the hardship of taxpayers who are rushing, panicking, and risking inaccurate reporting due to limited time and multiple obstacles.
Why Extension of Deadline is the Need of the Hour
CCTAX believes that if the deadline is extended, it will benefit not just the taxpayers but the government as well. Getting a little extra time will give both professionals and taxpayers an opportunity to properly reconcile their data with AIS and Form 26AS, and it will also become easier to adopt the new format of ICAI. This will make the submissions and reports more accurate and error-free.
This extension will also be a great relief for those areas where compliance is almost impossible due to floods and rains. When the filings are uploaded on the income tax portal with good and correct data, revenue collection will be strengthened and people’s trust in the tax administration will also increase.
CCTAX President, Dr. Balwinder Singh has also appealed to CBDT to give a timely extension. He says that this step will reduce the burden of both taxpayers and professionals and will protect the credibility of the compliance system.
Final Thoughts
The income tax filing season of AY 2025–26 is proving to be one of the toughest in recent memory. Between repeated glitches on the income tax portal, delayed utilities, unexpected format changes, and the havoc of natural calamities, taxpayers and professionals are caught in a storm that feels almost impossible to navigate.
An extension is not just a request—it’s a necessity. Granting extra time will ensure that filings are accurate, reconciled, and fair to everyone involved. The decision now lies with the CBDT, and taxpayers across the country are waiting anxiously for relief.
Disclaimer:
This article is for informational purposes only. It is based on publicly available data and statements by professional associations. Readers are advised to consult their financial advisors or official government notifications before making any compliance-related decisions.
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