Overview

• As of August 31, the Income Tax Department reports about 4.18 crore ITRs filed, 3.98 crore verified and roughly 2.74 crore processed, leaving a sizable backlog and slowing refunds.
• CBDT is watching filing volumes and portal stability over the next 10–15 days before any decision on further relief, and the department is sending SMS reminders urging taxpayers to file and e‑verify.
• Tax bodies and experts cite delayed utilities for ITR‑2/3 (July 11) and ITR‑5/6/7 (August), frequent portal issues, and AIS–Form 26AS mismatches as key reasons for calls to extend the window.
• Refund hold‑ups are frequently linked to bank account pre‑validation failures, data mismatches, or adjustments against past arrears, and returns remain incomplete without timely e‑verification.
• Those who miss September 15 can file a belated return by December 31 with penalties under Section 234F, or use ITR‑U under Section 139(8A) or seek condonation under Section 119(2)(b) to file under Section 139(9A) after approval; audited returns are due October 31.