The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on Tuesday extended the deadline of income tax return (ITR) filing for Assessment Year 2021-22 till March 15, 2022, for specific taxpayers who are eligible for audit, a statement by the Ministry of Finance informed. "On consideration of difficulties reported by the taxpayers and other stakeholders due to COVID and in electronic filing of various reports of audit under the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (the Act), the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has decided to further extend the due dates for filing of Income Tax Returns and various reports of audit for the Assessment Year 2021-22," the government statement said. On consideration of difficulties reported by taxpayers/stakeholders due to Covid & in e-filing of Audit reports for AY 2021-22 under the IT Act, 1961, CBDT further extends due dates for filing of Audit reports & ITRs for AY 21-22. Circular No. 01/2022 dated 11.01.2022 issued. pic.twitter.com/2Ggata8Bq3 — Income Tax India (@IncomeTaxIndia) January 11, 2022 The extension comes following appeals by multiple charted accountant associations, taxpayers, tax professionals, etc. to the government urging them to extend the due date of submission of tax audit reports and filing of income tax returns. Various tax professionals and charted accountants had even posted about their concerns on social media platforms a few days ago and had trended hashtags urging for an extension of the due dates. Here's what the CBDT has announced: The due date of furnishing of Report of Audit under any provision of the Act for the Previous Year 2020-21, which was 30th September 2021, in the case of assessees referred in clause (a) of Explanation 2 to sub-section (1) of section 139 of the Act, as extended to 31st October 2021 and 15th January 2022 by Circular No.9/2021 dated 20.05.2021 and Circular No.17/2021 dated 09.09.2021 respectively, is further extended to 15th February 2022; The due date of furnishing of Report of Audit under any provision of the Act for the Previous Year 2020-21, which was 31st October 2021, in the case of assessees referred in clause (aa) of Explanation 2 to sub-section (1) of section 139 of the Act, is extended to 15th February 2022; The due date of furnishing of Report from an Accountant by persons entering into international transaction or specified domestic transaction under section 92E of the Act for the Previous Year 2020-21, which was 31st October 2021, as extended to 30th November 2021 and 31st January 2022 by Circular No.9/2021 dated 20.05.2021 and Circular No.17/2021 dated 09.09.2021 respectively, is further extended to 15th February 2022; The due date of furnishing of Return of Income for the Assessment Year 2021-22, which was 31st October, 2021 under sub-section (1) of section 139 of the Act, as extended to 30th November, 2021 and 15th February, 2022 by Circular No.9/2021 dated 20.05.2021 and Circular No.17/2021 dated 09.09.2021 respectively, is further extended to 15th March 2022; The due date of furnishing of Return of Income for the Assessment Year 2021-22, which was 30th November 2021 under sub-section (1) of section 139 of the Act, as extended to 31st December 2021 and 28th February 2022 by Circular No.9/2021 dated 20.05.2021 and Circular No.17/2021 dated 09.09.2021 respectively, is further extended to 15th March 2022.
