The Income Tax Department has confirmed that more than 5.9 crore income tax returns (ITRs) were filed for Assessment Year (AY) 2026-27 by the July 31 deadline. According to the department's social media post on X, taxpayers demonstrated their trust and timely compliance, providing energy that fuels India's growth. The department expressed gratitude to taxpayers for their cooperation in meeting the filing deadline. This figure represents filings for assessment year 2026-27 by individuals and HUFs, with taxpayers typically filing a substantial share during the final week before the deadline.
Taxpayers whose refunds are due will soon receive them as the IT Department has started processing the returns. As reported by The Times of India, those who have filed their income tax returns must be waiting for their credits to be refunded. The department has begun processing the substantial volume of returns filed by the July 31 deadline, indicating the refund disbursement process has commenced. An income tax refund is issued by the Income Tax Department when the total tax paid by a taxpayer—through TDS, TCS, advance tax or self-assessment tax—exceeds the actual tax liability, with the final tax payable determined after considering all eligible deductions and exemptions during the assessment process.
While the July 31 deadline has passed for most taxpayers, certain categories have extended filing windows. As reported by Tax News, taxpayers having income from business or profession whose accounts are not required to be audited can file ITRs by August 31, 2026. Those whose accounts are required to be audited have an extended deadline of October 31, 2026. Additionally, taxpayers who missed the original ITR filing deadline can still file a belated ITR by December 31, 2026, and revise an already filed income tax return until March 31, 2027.
Taxpayers can check their refund status online through two primary platforms: the Income Tax e-Filing portal and the NSDL TIN website. According to the detailed guide provided by Zee News, taxpayers can check ITR status by visiting the income tax portal, clicking Income Tax Return Status, entering their acknowledgement number and mobile number, and submitting a 6-digit OTP. For refund status, users must click Know Your Refund Status on the home page, enter PAN, Assessment Year and mobile number, submit OTP, and view the refund status.
For individual users, there is a crucial technical requirement that must be addressed. As reported by Zee News, if PAN is not linked with Aadhaar, users will see a pop-up message stating their PAN is made inoperative. To resolve this issue, taxpayers can click the Link Now button to link their PAN with Aadhaar, or continue with the existing process. Under Section 234F of the Income Tax Act, 1961, late filing fees depend on the taxpayer's total income, with those filing belated returns facing penalties and interest on unpaid tax liability. Rakesh Goel, lead consultant at AQUILAW, noted that delayed returns may restrict taxpayers' ability to carry forward certain losses such as capital losses.
