ITR filing due dates FY 2026-27 (AY 2027-28)

For FY 2026-27 (AY 2027-28), the ITR due date is 31 July 2027 for taxpayers not requiring audit, 31 October 2027 for audit cases, and 30 November 2027 for taxpayers with transfer-pricing obligations. A belated or revised return can be filed up to 31 December 2027.

The main due dates

Dates are subject to extension by the CBDT. Due dates for FY 2026-27 (AY 2027-28) as per standard provisions; CBDT extensions, if any, to be checked on incometax.gov.in. Verify any notified extension for the year.

Belated, revised and updated returns

• Belated/revised return: up to 31 December 2027 (with a late fee under Section 234F for belated returns).
• Updated return (ITR-U): can be filed within the extended window from the end of the assessment year, on payment of additional tax. Due dates for FY 2026-27 (AY 2027-28) as per standard provisions; CBDT extensions, if any, to be checked on incometax.gov.in. Verify the current ITR-U time limit and rates.

Late filing costs

Filing after the due date attracts a fee under Section 234F (Rs.5,000, reduced to Rs.1,000 where total income is up to Rs.5 lakh) and interest under Section 234A on unpaid tax. Certain losses cannot be carried forward if the return is filed late — see set-off and carry-forward.

Plan the filing

• Reconcile 26AS/AIS/TIS before filing to avoid mismatches.
• Choose the regime and, for business income, file Form 10-IEA in time.
• Verify the return within the prescribed period, or it is treated as not filed.

Which due date applies to you

The audit report itself (Form 3CA/3CB with 3CD) is due one month before the return due date — 30 September 2027 for most audit cases.

What a missed deadline actually costs

• Late fee under Section 234F: Rs.5,000 (Rs.1,000 where total income is up to Rs.5 lakh).
• Interest under Section 234A at 1% per month on unpaid self-assessment tax from the due date.
• Loss carry-forward is lost — business losses and capital losses cannot be carried forward if the return is belated (house-property loss and unabsorbed depreciation survive).
• Old regime is lost for the year — a belated return cannot opt back into the old regime, because the Form 10-IEA/regime election is tied to the original due date.
• Refund interest under Section 244A shrinks, since it runs from the filing date for belated returns.

The updated return (ITR-U) window

The Finance Act 2025 extended the ITR-U window to 48 months from the end of the assessment year, with additional tax of 25%, 50%, 60% or 70% of the aggregate tax and interest depending on which 12-month block the filing falls in. ITR-U cannot be used to claim or increase a refund, declare a loss, or reduce liability — it is a one-way disclosure instrument. For genuine omissions found late (a missed foreign bank interest credit, an AIS entry that surfaced after filing), it remains cheaper than a Section 148 reopening.

Pre-filing checklist we run for every return

• Reconcile Form 26AS, AIS and TIS against books — mismatches are the top cause of CPC adjustments under 143(1).
• Verify Schedule FA (foreign assets) for any foreign ESOPs, bank accounts or brokerage accounts — non-disclosure carries Black Money Act exposure even for small balances.
• Match GST turnover (GSTR-3B/9) with the P&L — the AIS now carries GST turnover, and variances invite scrutiny.
• Confirm bank account pre-validation for the refund destination.
• E-verify within 30 days of filing — an unverified return is treated as never filed.

Under the Income-tax Act 2025, the filing provision formerly in Section 139 is renumbered Section 263. Check the current forms and utilities at incometax.gov.in.

Refund timing and interest mechanics

Refund interest under Section 244A accrues at 0.5% per month — from 1 April of the assessment year if the return is filed by the due date, but only from the date of filing for belated returns. On a Rs.3,00,000 refund, filing on time versus filing in December costs roughly Rs.7,500 of interest — a quantifiable price of delay beyond the 234F fee.

Interest received on a refund is itself taxable in the year of receipt — pick it up in the following year's computation; it appears in the AIS under "interest from income-tax refund".

Choosing the correct ITR form

Filing the wrong form makes the return defective under Section 139(9) — CPC issues a notice with a 15-day cure window, and an uncured defective return is treated as not filed, resurrecting all belated-return consequences. Directors and unlisted-share holders are pushed out of ITR-1/4 regardless of income level, a detail that catches startup employees with small ESOP allotments every year.