New Delhi: With only three days remaining until the income tax return filing deadline of July 31, 2024, a total of 5.14 crore returns have been submitted for the assessment year (AY) 2024-25, according to the latest update on the income tax portal. Of these, 4.6 crore returns have been verified and over 2.2 crore have been processed. Some tweets on social media indicate that refunds have been received within just three days.
The Income Tax Department is confident that the filing process will be completed on time and does not anticipate needing an extension. In a recent interview with ETV Bharat, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman Ravi Agrawal noted that the department can process up to two lakh returns per hour. Last year’s data indicates a growing trend in the number of returns filed.
As of July 26, 2024, the income tax website reports that over five crore ITRs have been filed, representing an increase of over 8.5% compared to last year. The daily number of returns filed has surpassed 25 lakhs since July 24 and is expected to continue rising as the July 31 deadline approaches.
The milestone of five crore returns was reached on July 26 this year, one day earlier than it was last year. Taxpayers experiencing technical issues with filing are advised to contact the toll-free helpdesk at 1800 103 0025 or 1800 419 0025, or email Efilingwebmanager@incometax.gov.in.
Taxpayers should compare their tax liability under both the New Tax and Old Tax regimes before filing their returns. For additional information, check the 'Latest Updates' section. If you encounter problems while downloading the ITR Form PDF for AY 2024-25, can try again after 8 pm. For optimal results, can use Edge, Chrome, or Firefox browsers.
Last year, there was an unprecedented rise in ITR filings, with about 6.77 crore returns submitted by July 31, 2023. This record set a new benchmark, reflecting increased taxpayer compliance and the effectiveness of the tax administration’s efforts to improve the filing process.
This year, however, income tax professionals have reported ongoing technical issues with the e-filing website. Despite notable upgrades, the portal has faced intermittent problems, which have hindered some taxpayers from completing their filings on time. While the IT department has indicated that it does not plan to extend the filing deadline, it is common for such decisions to be made at the last moment. As a result, any announcement regarding an extension is unlikely before the evening of July 31.
Return filing data
Individual registered users
124,304,662
Number of returns filed (AY 2024-25)
51,425,244
Number of returns verified (AY 2024-25)
46,767,077
Number of verified ITRs (AY 2024-25) processed
22,226,245
