India's July 31 2026 Income Tax Return deadline for salaried taxpayers

Income Tax Return July 31 2026 deadline ITR‑1 late filing fee belated return

The Income Tax Department has set July 31 2026 as the final deadline for filing Income Tax Returns (ITR‑1 and ITR‑2) for Assessment Year 2026‑27. No official extension has been announced. Over 4 crore returns have already been filed, with roughly 4.40 crore verified and 2.34 crore processed. Taxpayers who miss the deadline may file a belated return under Section 139(4) until December 31 2026, but a late‑filing fee under Section 234F applies – up to ₹5,000 for total income above ₹5 lakh and up to ₹1,000 for income at or below that threshold. In addition, interest of 1 % per month on any unpaid tax is charged under Section 234A from the due date. Missing the deadline also means loss‑carry‑forward benefits (except for house‑property losses) cannot be claimed, refunds may be delayed, and the option to choose the old tax regime is lost. The department advises early filing, thorough reconciliation of Form 16, AIS, Form 26AS and bank statements, and timely e‑verification. An ITR can be cancelled before e‑verification; after verification only a revised return is possible.

Entities: Aman Sharma · Assessment Year 2026‑27 · Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) · Central Goods and Services Tax (GST) Department · Gujarat · Income Tax Department · Income Tax Department (India) · Income Tax Department of India · Indian Ministry of Finance · Ivy Dasgupta · Maharashtra · Pankaj Chaudhary

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

[○ 1 SOURCE] More than 4 crore ITRs have already been filed for AY 2026‑27.
[● 4 SOURCES] Belated returns can be filed until December 31, 2026. (Tax law provision)
[● 4 SOURCES] Late filing fee under Section 234F is up to ₹5,000 for income above ₹5 lakh and up to ₹1,000 for income up to ₹5 lakh. (Tax law provision)
[○ 1 SOURCE] Taxpayers can cancel an unverified ITR and re‑file; cancellation is not possible after e‑verification.
[● 5 SOURCES] If a return is filed after the deadline, a late filing fee of ₹1,000‑₹5,000 applies under Section 234F. (Tax law provision)
[○ 1 SOURCE] ITR verification must be completed within 30 days; otherwise the filing date is taken as the verification date. (Tax law provision)
[● 5 SOURCES] The filing deadline for ITR‑1 and ITR‑2 for Assessment Year 2026‑27 is 31 July 2026.
[● 9 SOURCES] No official extension of the July 31 deadline has been announced. (supported)
[● 6 SOURCES] The deadline to file ITR‑1 and ITR‑2 for Assessment Year 2026‑27 is July 31, 2026. (Income Tax Department deadline announcement)
[● 2 SOURCES] More than 4 crore ITRs have been filed for AY 2026‑27, with about 4.40 crore verified and 2.34 crore processed. (supported)
[● 2 SOURCES] An unverified ITR can be cancelled and re‑filed before e‑verification; cancellation is not possible after verification. (Tax filing guidance)
[○ 1 SOURCE] An ITR can be cancelled before e‑verification; after verification only a revised return can be filed. (supported)