Every due date for AY 2026-27
| Date | Who it applies to | Section |
|---|---|---|
| Salaried individuals and others filing ITR-1 or ITR-2 (no audit) | s.139(1) | |
| Business and professional income on ITR-3 or ITR-4 where accounts are not liable to audit — freelancers, consultants, 44AD/44ADA/44AE filers | s.139(1), as amended by the Finance Act 2026 | |
| Taxpayers liable to tax audit under s.44AB | s.139(1) | |
| Taxpayers with international / specified domestic transactions requiring a s.92E report | s.139(1) | |
| Belated return — filed after the due date above, with a s.234F late fee | s.139(4) | |
| Revised return — correcting a return already filed | s.139(5) |
The 31 August date is a rule change, not an extension
For years, non-audit taxpayers filed by 31 July and then watched for a CBDT circular granting an extension. That habit is now actively misleading. The Finance Act, 2026 amended section 139(1) to give non-audit filers of ITR-3 and ITR-4 a statutory due date of 31 August, effective AY 2026-27 onward. There is no circular to wait for, because nothing is being extended — this is simply the date.
The split matters because it separates two groups that used to share one deadline. Salaried filers on ITR-1 and ITR-2 remain at 31 July 2026. Freelancers, consultants, professionals and small businesses whose accounts are not liable to audit under section 44AB get the extra month, whether they file under presumptive taxation (44AD, 44ADA, 44AE) or with full books.
What missing it actually costs
The late fee is the part people quote, and it is the smaller part. Undersection 234F, a belated return costs ₹5,000 if total income exceeds ₹5,00,000, and ₹1,000if it does not. On top of that, section 234A charges 1% per month on any tax still unpaid, counted from the day after the due date, with part of a month treated as a full month.
The expensive part is neither. Filing late forfeits the right to carry forward business losses and capital losses to future years. A trader or freelancer with a loss year can lose a shield worth several lakh in future tax by filing a few days late — a cost that never appears on the late-fee line.
A worked example
A consultant with total income of ₹18,00,000 files ITR-4 on 20 October 2026 instead of 31 August 2026, with ₹40,000 of self-assessment tax unpaid. The section 234F fee is₹5,000 because income exceeds₹5,00,000. Section 234A runs for September and October — two months — at 1% of ₹40,000, so ₹800. Total additional cost: ₹5,800, plus the loss-carry-forward rights she gives up. You can check the interest figure for your own numbers with the Section 234 interest calculator.
Which form puts you on which date
- ITR-1 (Sahaj) — salary, one house property, other income up to ₹50 lakh. Due 31 July 2026.
- ITR-2 — salary plus capital gains, multiple properties, foreign assets, ESOPs or RSUs, but no business income. Due 31 July 2026.
- ITR-3 — business or professional income with full books, including F&O trading. Due 31 August 2026 if not liable to audit.
- ITR-4 (Sugam) — presumptive income under 44AD, 44ADA or 44AE. Due 31 August 2026 if not liable to audit.
If you are a freelancer or professional deciding between presumptive and regular filing, the freelancer tax calculator compares Section 44ADA against filing with actual expenses for your receipts.
Before you file
Most of the delay in filing is not the form, it is assembling the numbers. The tools below produce the figures the return asks for — HRA exemption, capital gains, ESOP and RSU perquisite value, crypto income under 115BBH, and the rent receipts your employer or the return may require as backing.