CBDT Extends Tax Audit Deadline to October 21, ITR Filing Deadline to November 21

September 28, 2026

New Delhi: The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has extended the deadline for filing income-tax returns for taxpayers whose accounts are required to be audited under the Income-tax Act, 1961.

For Assessment Year (AY) 2026-27, the due date for furnishing the Return of Income has been extended from October 31 to November 21, 2026.

The CBDT has also extended the specified date for furnishing the tax audit report from September 30 to October 21, 2026, according to an official statement issued on Monday.

The CBDT said a formal notification regarding the extension will be issued separately.

Tax Audit Deadline Extended to October 21

The specified date for taxpayers covered by the tax audit requirement has been moved from September 30 to October 21.

The extension gives taxpayers and tax professionals additional time to complete audit procedures, verify disclosures and reconcile information across tax and financial records before submitting the audit report through the income-tax e-filing portal.

The demand for extending the deadlines had increased in recent weeks, with several chartered accountant associations and tax professionals seeking additional time.

ITR Filing Deadline Now November 21

Following the extension, taxpayers covered by the audit requirement will now have until November 21 to furnish their income-tax returns for AY 2026-27.

The CBDT said the move is expected to provide additional time for completing the audit process and facilitate ease of doing business.

The extension applies specifically to persons whose accounts are required to be audited under the Income-tax Act.

Direct Tax Collection Rises 13%

Meanwhile, government data showed that India’s net direct tax collection rose by 13 pe r cent to more than ₹12.12 lakh crore between April 1 and September 17 of the current financial year, compared with the corresponding period of the previous year.

Gross direct tax collections increased by more than 15 per cent year-on-year to ₹14.3 lakh crore during the period.

Corporate tax collections rose 19.48 per cent to around ₹5.56 lakh crore, while personal income tax and collections from Hindu Undivided Families increased 6 per cent to more than ₹6.16 lakh crore.

Securities Transactions Tax (STT) collections jumped 53 per cent to ₹40,214 crore during the period.

Refund issuance also increased by more than 29 per cent, crossing ₹2.2 lakh crore, according to the official data.