Income Tax Return due dates
Income Tax Return
The income tax return reports a year's income, the tax paid against it through TDS and advance tax, and the balance payable or refundable. Which form applies, and which due date, depends on who is filing and whether the accounts need auditing.
- How often
- Annual
- Who it applies to
- All entities (31 Oct for companies/LLPs, else 31 Jul)
Upcoming due dates
- No further due dates fall inside the next eighteen months.
Dates are the standard statutory deadlines. Government extensions are announced from time to time and are not reflected here.
Who must file Income Tax Return
Companies, LLPs and partnership firms file regardless of income or activity, including a loss or a dormant year. Individuals and HUFs file when total income exceeds the basic exemption limit, and in a set of other cases regardless of income — holding foreign assets, high-value deposits, large electricity or foreign-travel spend among them.
What the form asks for
- Income under each head — salary, house property, business or profession, capital gains, other sources
- Deductions claimed under chapter VI-A, and the regime chosen for the year
- Taxes already paid: TDS, TCS, advance tax and self-assessment tax
- A balance sheet and profit and loss account where business income is reported
- Audit report particulars where an audit applies, filed a month before the return
- Details of foreign assets and income, where applicable
If you miss the Income Tax Return deadline
Late fee
₹5,000 under section 234F for a return filed after the due date, reduced to ₹1,000 where total income does not exceed ₹5 lakh.
Interest
1% a month under section 234A on unpaid tax from the due date until filing, on top of any 234B and 234C interest already running on advance-tax shortfalls.
Late-fee caps, contribution rates and turnover thresholds are revised by notification from time to time. Confirm the current figure before you act on it.
How Income Tax Return fits with your other filings
The cost of a late return is not only the fee: business losses and capital losses cannot be carried forward unless the return is filed by the due date. A belated return can still be filed until 31 December of the assessment year, and an updated return for longer than that, but the carry-forward is gone either way.
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Start freeIncome Tax Return — common questions
What is the due date for filing an income tax return?
31 July for taxpayers whose accounts do not require audit. 31 October where an audit applies — which covers companies and LLPs — and 30 November where a transfer-pricing report in Form 3CEB is required.
What is the penalty for filing an income tax return late?
₹5,000 under section 234F, or ₹1,000 where total income is ₹5 lakh or less, plus interest at 1% a month under section 234A on any unpaid tax. Business and capital losses for the year also cease to be available for carry-forward.
Does a company with no income still have to file a return?
Yes. Companies, LLPs and firms file every year regardless of income or activity. A dormant company files a nil return.
Can I file after the due date?
A belated return can be filed until 31 December of the assessment year, with the section 234F fee and 234A interest. Beyond that, an updated return may be possible for a longer window on payment of additional tax. Neither restores the loss carry-forward.