New Delhi: In a major relief for companies and professionals, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has officially extended the deadlines for filing the tax audit report and the subsequent Income Tax Return (ITR) for the Assessment Year (AY) 2026-27 by three weeks.
The due date for furnishing the tax audit report under the Income Tax Act, 1961, has been moved from the original deadline of September 30, 2026, to October 21, 2026. Following this change, the deadline for filing the ITR for taxpayers whose accounts are subject to audit—which includes companies, working partners of audited firms, and certain non-company assessees—has been extended from October 31, 2026, to November 21, 2026.
The extension comes after consistent demands from tax practitioners and chartered accountants, who had cited the compressed audit window following the August 31 deadline for filing ITRs in non-audit cases.
Taking to the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the Income Tax Department announced, “The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has decided to extend the due date of furnishing of Return of Income for Assessment Year 2026-27… from 31st October 2026 to 21st November 2026. The specified date for furnishing of Audit report… has been extended from 30th September 2026 to 21st October 2026.”
Tax experts have welcomed the government’s move. Amit Agarwal, a senior partner at a leading tax advisory firm, stated that the extension shows the CBDT has taken cognisance of the genuine challenges being faced by taxpayers and tax professionals during the current compliance cycle. “The additional 21 days will provide much-needed breathing space to businesses to complete their tax audits, undertake necessary reconciliations, and ensure that the information reported in the tax return is accurate and appropriately supported,” Agarwal added.
Eligible taxpayers and their auditors will now have additional time to thoroughly complete the complex audit processes before submitting their final returns through the e-filing portal. The Income Tax Department had previously reported that a record 7.8 crore ITRs were filed for the assessment year 2026-27 by August 31 for salaried individuals and non-audited businesses.