ITR Deadline: Income Tax Return deadline extended... Doctors, engineers, CAs, and other professionals should note the new deadline..

The deadline for filing Income Tax Returns (ITR) has been extended for professionals—such as doctors, engineers, and chartered accountants—as well as for companies and business firms. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has extended the deadline for filing ITRs for the year 2026-27 by 21 days, moving it beyond October 31, 2026.

In a recent order, the CBDT stated that the deadline for filing returns for taxpayers falling under the specific category (Serial Number 2) has been extended from October 31, 2026, to November 21, 2026. Concurrently, the deadline for submitting audit reports in these cases, as mandated by the provisions of the Income Tax Act, has been extended from September 30, 2026, to October 21, 2026.

Who falls under the scope of Serial Number 2?
'Serial Number 2' of the table provided under Explanation 2 to sub-section (1) of Section 139 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, pertains to taxpayers and entities that are mandatorily required to have their accounts audited. This category primarily includes professionals and business entities.

Companies: All registered companies in the country fall under this category, regardless of the volume of their business or the amount of profit they generate. It is mandatory for companies to have their accounts audited and to file returns. Business firms and proprietorships: Business entities or traders—including individual traders, partnership firms, and Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs)—whose accounts are required to be audited under the Income Tax Act or any other law fall into this category. Working professionals: Doctors, engineers, lawyers, chartered accountants, consultants, and other professionals also fall under this category if their professional income exceeds a certain threshold and they are required to have their accounts audited under the regulations. Other entities: Trusts, Associations of Persons (AOPs), or Bodies of Individuals (BOIs) whose accounts are subject to statutory audit requirements.

What are the benefits of extending the deadline?
Since these business entities and companies are required to file their ITRs only after completing the audit of their accounts, the extension of the audit report submission deadline and the ITR filing date brings significant relief to taxpayers. This extension provides Chartered Accountants (CAs) and tax professionals with sufficient time to smoothly complete the audit work and the return filing process. A formal notification and a detailed order regarding this are being issued separately by the department.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from NDTV India. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.