March 31st Deadline: Wrap Up These Tasks in 2-3 Days; You Have Until March 31st—Check the List

March 31st Deadline: The month of March is drawing to a close, and the new financial year is set to commence on April 1st. Consequently, it is imperative to wrap up certain critical tasks before the current financial year ends on March 31st. These include everything from filing Income Tax Returns to making tax-saving investments. Let’s take a closer look at these key items:

Deadline for Submitting Suggestions to the 8th Pay Commission

The 8th Pay Commission has extended the deadline for submitting feedback on its 18-point questionnaire from March 16th to March 31st, 2026. Central government employees, pensioners, unions, and other stakeholders may submit their views on the matter by this date. To do so, you must log in to the MyGov portal, as all responses will be accepted exclusively through this platform. Responses submitted via email or postal mail will not be considered valid.

Updated Return

If you have not yet filed your Income Tax Return for Assessment Year 2021-22 (FY 2020-21)—or if your filed return contains errors—the final deadline to rectify this is March 31st, 2026.

Revised Return

According to the new regulations introduced in Budget 2026, you can now revise your Income Tax Return up until the end of the Assessment Year—that is, until March 31st. Previously, the deadline for this was December 31st. If you made any errors while filing your original ITR—such as claiming an incorrect deduction or inadvertently omitting certain income details—you are now granted an additional three months to rectify these mistakes. Belated Return

Those who missed the July deadline for filing their tax returns can now file a belated return, subject to a penalty, until March 31.

Tax-Saving Investments

This is the final opportunity to complete investments to avail of the tax deduction of up to ₹1.5 lakh under Section 80C (covering PPF, ELSS, and LIC) for the financial year 2025-26. However, if you have opted for the ‘New Tax Regime,’ you will not be eligible for this ₹1.5 lakh deduction under Section 80C. Under the New Regime, income up to ₹12 lakh has been made tax-free.

TDS Certificate

The deadline for issuing TDS certificates for the third quarter of the financial year 2025 has also been extended to March 31, 2026.

Minimum Contribution

The deadline for depositing the minimum required amount to keep PPF, NPS, or Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) accounts active is also March 31, 2026.