Extended Due Dates for Income Tax Returns and Audit Reports
The government has extended the deadlines for filing audit reports and income tax returns for the 2026-27 assessment year.
- Document
- Circular Circular No. 07/2026
- Dated
- 29 Sep 2026
- Effective
- 28th September 2026
- Act by
- 21st November 2026
This page was written by Patron Accounting’s AI from the official release and reviewed before publishing. It explains the document in plain language. It is not the document itself. Where this page and the original differ, the original governs.
The short version
- Audit reports are now due by 21st October 2026.
- Income tax returns are now due by 21st November 2026.
- These extensions apply only to businesses and individuals required to undergo a tax audit.
In short
Circular No. 07/2026 from the Income Tax department provides extra time for taxpayers who must have their accounts audited to file their reports and tax returns.
What has changed
How it worked before
Previously, taxpayers subject to an audit were required to submit their audit reports by 30th September 2026 and their income tax returns by 31st October 2026.
What has changed
The deadline for audit reports has been pushed back by three weeks, and the deadline for income tax returns has been pushed back by three weeks.
Who this affects
This applies to businesses and individuals who are required to have their accounts audited under the Income Tax Act.
An example
A private limited company is required to have its accounts audited. Under the old rules, they had to file their audit report by 30th September and their tax return by 31st October. With this new circular, they now have until 21st October to submit the audit report and until 21st November to file their tax return.
What you should do
Ensure your auditor completes the audit report by 21st October 2026 and file your income tax return by 21st November 2026.
Deadline · 21st November 2026If you do nothing
Filing after these new deadlines may result in late filing fees or penalties. You may also lose the ability to carry forward certain business losses to future years.
The terms explained
- Assessment Year
- The year in which you file taxes for the income earned in the previous year.
- Audit Report
- A formal document where a chartered accountant verifies your business's financial records.
- Income Tax Return
- The form used to report your annual income and tax paid to the government.
The original document
| Issued by | IT |
|---|---|
| Document | Circular Circular No. 07/2026 |
| Full title | As per Circular No.07/2026 dated 28th September,2026, the due dates for ITR and Audit Report are extended as below: Due date for filing of Income Tax Returns for AY 2026-27 is extended in the cases of persons mentioned at Sl.No.2 in the Table below Explanation2 to Sub-section (1) of Section 139 of Income Tax Act 1961 from 31st October 2026 to 21st November 2026" Accordingly, the Audit Reports for AY 2026-27 is extended in the cases of persons mentioned at Sl.No.2 in the Table below Explanation2 to Sub-section (1) of Section 139 of Income Tax Act 1961 from 30th September 2026 to 21st October, 2026. |
| Issued on | 29 September 2026 |
| Effective | 28th September 2026 |
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