CA Association Seeks Extension of Tax Audit, Forms 10B/10BB and Other Audit-Related Report Deadlines for AY 2026-27:

The Chartered Accountants Association, Jalandhar, has requested the Honourable Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, to further extend the due dates for the Tax Audit Report (TAR), Forms 10B/10BB, and other audit-related reports, filing initial deadlines for the Assessment Year 2026-27. Additionally, urged alignment of the statutory deadlines for the future years.

The association has made the aforesaid request vide a representation dated September 17, 2026. At the start of the representation, the association claimed that they are really grateful to the government for revising the ITR filing due date for non-audit business and professional taxpayers from July 31 to August 31. The association called this a taxpayer-friendly move, as this has resulted in a substantial compression and overlap of compliance work during August and September, especially for taxpayers and Chartered Accountants (CAs) handling audit cases.

However, conversely, this revision has also left taxpayers with only one month to file their Tax Audit Reports (TARs) and the corresponding Income-tax Returns (ITRs) in audit cases. According to the association, the situation has again mounted substantial pressure on the heads of taxpayers and professionals to furnish their filings in a timely manner. The present requests for deadline extension in large numbers are primarily due to the realignment of the statutory due dates themselves.

Another concern raised was the delayed release of ITR forms and online utilities. The association noted that ITR-3 was released on June 18, ITR-5 on July 7, ITR-7 on July 9 and ITR-6 on August 4, 2026. According to the representation, the corresponding online utilities were made available later, leaving less effective time for taxpayers and professionals to prepare, reconcile and file returns.

The association also highlighted the increased reporting requirements for non-corporate taxpayers. It stated that the more detailed financial statement format implemented by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) requires taxpayers to provide additional financial information and disclosures. This information also needs detailed verification and reconciliation during the audit process, increasing the workload for Chartered Accountants (CAs).

In view of these difficulties, the association requested the government to extend the Tax Audit Report (TAR) deadline from September 30, 2026, to October 31, 2026, and provide corresponding extensions for Forms 10B, 10BB and other applicable audit-related forms. It also sought consequential relief wherever the extended audit report deadline affects ITR filing.

For future years, the association requested the government to consider permanently prescribing October 31 as the due date for both Tax Audit Reports (TARs) and Income Tax Returns (ITRs) in audit cases, subject to existing provisions for transfer pricing and other special cases. It said that such alignment could provide taxpayers and professionals with more predictable compliance timelines and reduce repeated requests for extensions.