Who files by when, what a belated return costs, and what you lose by missing the original date.
There is no single last date. Non-audit cases — salaried people and businesses not required to be audited — file by 31 July. Where accounts are audited the date is 31 October. Both are extended by the CBDT in many years, often late in the day.
Missing the date you were given does not end the matter. A belated return can still be filed until 31 December, at a cost.
Income tax return — miss it: Up to ₹5,000 under section 234F, interest under 234A, and you lose the right to carry losses forward
Income tax return — audit cases — miss it: ₹5,000 under section 234F, plus interest under 234A
Belated / revised return — miss it: After this date the return cannot be filed at all without a condonation application
Section 234F charges ₹5,000, reduced to ₹1,000 where total income does not exceed ₹5 lakh. On top of that, interest under section 234A runs at 1% a month on unpaid tax from the due date until you file.
The expensive part is neither of those. Losses — business losses, capital losses — can only be carried forward if the return was filed by the original due date. File belated and that right is gone for good, which on a bad year is worth far more than ₹5,000.
Once the belated window closes the return cannot ordinarily be filed at all. What remains is an updated return, available for a longer period but only with additional tax on top, or an application for condonation of delay — which is discretionary and not quick.
31 July for non-audit cases and 31 October where accounts are audited, subject to any extension notified by the CBDT. A belated return can be filed until 31 December.
₹5,000 under section 234F, or ₹1,000 if total income is up to ₹5 lakh, plus 1% a month interest under section 234A on any unpaid tax.
No. Business and capital losses can only be carried forward if the return was filed by the original due date. This is usually the costliest consequence of filing belated.
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Ask on WhatsAppStandard statutory dates, computed from today. Extensions notified by the CBDT or CBIC, ROC dates that follow your own AGM, and state-administered levies can all differ. General information, not advice on your position — confirm with us before you rely on a date that is close.
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