ITR Filing 2023-24: 49% Taxpayers Still left to File ITRs; Technical issues with IT Portal become Top Reason for Delay

With the Income Tax Returns (ITR) filing deadline getting closer, many frustrated netizens have reported encountering errors on the tax filing portal and experiencing major difficulties during the process. According to the current survey, nearly half of taxpayers have yet to file their ITR.

LocalCircles, a social media site, conducted a survey that found 49% of taxpayers have yet to complete an income tax return.

Furthermore, it discovered that 33% of taxpayers have suffered or are extremely likely to face issues in the filing process, with up to 11% admitting that they would be unable to complete the process properly by the July 31st deadline.

Looking deeper into the reasons for these challenges, the survey found that 16% of taxpayers are having trouble obtaining the necessary paperwork. Chartered Accountants (CAs) for 14% of taxpayers have reported issues, but the main issue, purportedly troubling up to 38% of respondents, is the filing portal itself.

Login failures, unresponsive pages, timeouts, problems with pre-filled data, and difficulties uploading huge files are among the most commonly reported issues. There have also been reports of inconsistencies in capital gains and foreign income tax calculations, as well as the failure to reflect submissions after they were submitted.

In the midst of this outcry-choked whirlwind, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) and the Karnataka State Chartered Accountants Association (KSCAA), along with other Chartered Accountant associations, are said to have written to the Income Tax Department, requesting a prompt resolution of these issues.

They have also urged the department to consider extending the filing deadline in light of these significant roadblocks, with the survey, which collected data from taxpayers in 311 districts, recommending that the revised date be set for mid- or end-August to alleviate the undue stress on taxpayers.