December 31 Deadline Alert: Correct Your Income Tax Return Before It’s Too Late

The final date for taxpayers to file revised ot belated income tax returns for the assessment year 2025-26 is December 31, 2025. If you miss this deadline, you will not be able to revise or file belated return for AY 2025-26.

From January 1, 2026, the only option available will be filing an Updated Return (ITR-U), which carries additional tax liability and procedural limitations.

Why return faced processing delays?

Taxpayers have faced delays in getting their tax refunds because of issues such as verification issues, inaccurate bank details, or differences between the details they filed.

Tax Department sent emails and SMS messages to affected taxpayers, asking them to check their details and make corrections wherever needed so their refunds could be processed.

Purpose of revise return?

Taxpayers file a revise return to fix their deduction or exemption claims, reconcile income with details available in the Annual Information Statement (AIS) and Form 26AS, and fix errors related to investments, donations or bank details.

Revising before the due date helps to prevent discrepancies that could delay processing or trigger follow-up notices from the tax department.

NUDGE Initiative for AY 2025-26

The Income Tax Department has advised taxpayers to double-check their tax returns before the deadline under a new program called “NUDGE” for AY 2025-26. Using data and analytics, the income tax department spots returns where some claims such as certain deductions or exemptions might not meet the rules.

Under NUDGE campaign, CBDT is issuing advisories, encouraging taxpayers to review their returns and voluntarily correct any wrong claims.

After December 31, you can’t make changes to your current tax filing. If you need to fix something after that date, you’ll have to file a new, updated return, which could cost more in taxes and may have restrictions under the law.