The process of filing Income Tax Return i.e. ITR can start from the first week of June. Usually it starts from 1st April, but this year it is getting delayed. The reason for the delay is that the online tools required for ITR form are not available. Understand the cause and effect of delay in ITR filing in questions and answers Question 1: Why is there a delay in ITR filing this year? Answer: The main reason for the delay in the process of ITR filing this year is the unavailability of online related facilities (e-filing utilities) for ITR form. The Central Board of Direct Taxes i.e., CBDT has notified all the forms from ITR-1 to ITR-7, but the online tools required for these, such as JSON, Excel, and online e-filing utilities, have not yet been made available on the portal. Experts believe that this delay may be due to changes made in the forms, backend technology upgrades, and data integration (such as with AIS and TIS). Question 2: When will the ITR filing process begin? Answer: The Income Tax Department has not yet announced any official date, but according to reports, the process may begin from the first week of June 2025. The rollout will be in a phased manner, with simpler forms such as ITR-1 and ITR-4 being introduced first, followed by complex forms such as ITR-2 and ITR-3. Question 3: What are e-filing utilities and why are they so important? Answer: e-filing utilities are software tools that the Income Tax Department provides to taxpayers to file their returns. There are two types of these: Without these tools, filing returns is not possible, as they are required for data validation, form submission, and system integration. Question 4: How is this delay affecting taxpayers? Answer: Those who are expecting a quick refund are having to wait. For example, those who have paid more TDS or advance tax are waiting for the filing to start for refund. Question 5: Will the last date for ITR filing be extended? Answer: So far, the Income Tax Department has not made any official announcement to extend the last date. The last date for non-audit taxpayers is 31 July 2025. Experts believe that since most people file returns in June and July, and the department still has time, the date is less likely to be extended. However, if utilities are not available by the end of June, the date may be extended. Question 6: What will happen if the return is not filed on time? Answer: If the return is not filed by 31 July 2025, a penalty of Rs 1,000 will be imposed for those with income less than Rs 5 lakh and Rs 5,000 for those with income more than Rs 5 lakh. At the same time, 1% monthly interest will be charged on the outstanding tax under section 234A. Business or capital losses, except house property, cannot be carried forward to the next year.
