What happens if you miss the income tax filing deadline?

Filing your Income Tax Return (ITR) is a responsibility every taxpayer in India has to meet on time. Each year, the government sets a cut-off date, and this year the deadline for most individuals falls on September 15.

Earlier, the due date had already been extended from July 31, giving people extra time to complete the process. But now, the window is finally about to close.

A fake news is in circulation stating that the due of filing ITRs (originally due on 31.07.2025, and extended to 15.09.2025) has been further extended to 30.09.2025.

✅ The due date for filing ITRs remains 15.09.2025.

Taxpayers are advised to rely only on official… pic.twitter.com/F7fPEOAztZ

— Income Tax India (@IncomeTaxIndia) September 14, 2025

But what happens if you still haven’t filed by today?

The short answer is yes, you can still file your return after the deadline. However, it doesn’t come without conditions. From penalties to loss of certain benefits, missing the cut-off can bring financial as well as procedural consequences.

Here’s a clear breakdown.

What happens if you miss ITR deadline?

Missing the income tax return deadline doesn’t mean you can’t file anymore, but it does come with some downsides. Here are the key consequences:

– Late fee

For the assessment year 2025–26 (FY 2024–25), taxpayers with income up to Rs 5 lakh will have to pay a penalty of Rs 1,000 if they file after the due date but before December 31.

If your income is more than Rs 5 lakh, the penalty rises to Rs 5,000 under the same condition. This late fee is charged at the time of filing your belated return.

– Interest on unpaid tax

If you still have tax liability pending, either because you filed late or didn’t pay advance tax on time, you’ll also need to pay interest at 1 per cent per month. This applies under:

Section 234A for late filing

Section 234B for shortfall in advance tax

Section 234C for deferment of advance tax

– Loss of carry-forward benefits

One major drawback of filing late is that you lose the ability to carry forward certain losses, like business losses or capital losses, to offset future income. This means you miss the chance to reduce your tax burden in the years ahead.

The only exception is losses from house property, which can still be carried forward even if you file late.

– Delayed refunds & loss of refund interest 

If you’re eligible for a refund, filing late will slow things down. You also lose part of the interest you could have earned on your refund.

“Loss of refund interest refers to the interest you could have received had you filed your ITR on time, minus the interest you actually receive, given you filed later,” Shefali Mundra, tax expert at ClearTax, told LiveMint.

She explains, for example, if your refund is Rs 50,000 and you filed on time, you would earn interest of Rs 2,250 for the period April–December at a rate of 0.5 per cent per month (Section 244A). But if you file in October instead, the interest drops to Rs 500 for October–December, a loss of Rs 1,750.

-Scrutiny from the IT department

Missing the deadline can also put you under the scanner. Non-compliance often invites notices and tighter checks from the Income Tax Department, increasing the chances of your return being picked up for scrutiny.

Also read: Deadline extended, new form notified: Why filing income tax returns will be different this year

Who can file ITR today?

For most individual taxpayers, including salaried employees, pensioners, NRIs, and those whose accounts don’t require an audit, the deadline to file ITR is September 15, 2025.

Businesses and professionals whose accounts need to be audited have a slightly different timeline. They must first submit their audit reports by September 30, 2025, and then file their ITR by October 31, 2025.

Meanwhile, taxpayers who are required to provide a transfer pricing report (usually because of international or specified domestic transactions) have until November 30, 2025, to complete their filing.

According to the official income tax portal, as of 10:35 am on Monday, September 15, a total of 6.7 crore ITRs had been filed. Of these, 6.03 crore returns have already been verified by taxpayers, and over 4 crore returns have been processed by the department.

How to file ITR?

Filing your return online is fairly simple and can be done directly through the official income tax website. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Visit the official Income Tax filing portal:  https://www.incometax.gov.in/iec/foportal/

Step 2: Log in using your User ID (PAN or Aadhaar) and password.

Step 3: Head to the ITR Filing section.

Step 4: Select the correct assessment year and choose whether you want to file your return online or offline.

Step 5: Pick the right ITR form based on your sources of income (salary, business, capital gains, etc.).

Step 6: Fill in the required details carefully, review them, and make sure everything is accurate.

Step 7: Pay any pending taxes (if applicable).

Step 8: Submit the return and complete the process by e-verifying it online.

With input from agencies

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