New Delhi: The Income Tax Department on Saturday announced that more than 5.9 crore Income Tax Returns (ITRs) were filed for the Assessment Year (AY) 2026-27 by the July 31 deadline, thanking taxpayers for their timely compliance and continued trust in the country’s tax system.
In a post on X, the department said, “Thank you, taxpayers! Over 5.9 crore ITRs were filed for AY 2026-27 by July 31. Your trust and timely compliance provide the energy that fuels India’s growth.”
Final Day Sees Massive Surge in ITR Filings
The e-filing portal witnessed a significant rush on the last day, with more than 40 lakh returns filed on July 31 alone. The deadline applied to individual taxpayers and entities that are not required to have their accounts audited.
ITR filing gathered strong momentum during the final weeks before the due date. According to official figures, more than 1.7 crore returns had been filed by July 11, rising to over 3 crore by July 22. The count crossed 4 crore by July 27, exceeded 5 crore on July 31, crossed 5.5 crore before the close of filing, and finally surpassed 5.9 crore after the deadline.
Taxpayers Urged to File Early
Ahead of the deadline, the Income Tax Department repeatedly advised taxpayers not to wait until the last moment to file their returns. Officials cautioned that last-minute filing could lead to heavy traffic on the e-filing portal and possible technical issues.
For AY 2026-27, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) introduced revised ITR forms with updated disclosure requirements. The changes include enhanced reporting norms for long-term capital gains, losses from share buybacks, and certain trading transactions, with the objective of improving transparency while making tax compliance simpler.
Growing Scale of Direct Tax Administration
India’s direct tax ecosystem has continued to expand steadily. During FY 2024-25, more than 9 crore taxpayers filed income tax returns, while the Income Tax Department issued refunds worth over ₹4.35 lakh crore, reflecting faster processing and the growing efficiency of the country’s tax administration.
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