ITR Filing Disrupted for Audited Taxpayers Due to Portal Glitch, Here's What You Need to Know:

The income tax portal is displaying a technical glitch, blocking audited assessees from filing their ITRs, showing an incorrect 139(1) time-lapse error.

Income Tax Portal ERROR Stops ITR Filing for Audited Assessees

Saloni Kumari

Dec 1, 2025

Last update on Dec 1, 2025

ITR Filing Disrupted for Audited Taxpayers Due to Portal Glitch, Here's What You Need to Know Several taxpayers and chartered accountants (CAs) are today facing errors on the e-filing portal while filing their ITRs (Income Tax Returns) for audited assessees. The portal is showing an error message for all such filings. The error message that is being displayed on the screen in such cases is, "Return u/s 139(1) cannot be filed, as the time limit to file the return under this section has lapsed. Please correct the return filing section to 139(4) or 139(5)." The portal is also showing a possible solution to this error that reads, "Please correct the return filing section to 139(4) or 139(5)." In simpler words, the portal is preventing users from filing their returns under Section 139(1) and asking them to change the section to 139(4) (belated return) or 139(5) (revised return). This is not a mistake by taxpayers. It seems to be a technical issue in the portal, likely caused by an error in the ITD Utility or a mismatch or pending update in the ITR JSON Schema. However, because of this, even those assessees whose due date has NOT lapsed are being shown this error. At present, nothing needs to be changed from your end. Experts are advising all taxpayers not to make any changes to the return section manually and wait for the Income Tax Department to update the utility or fix the schema. The Income Tax Department is likely to resolve this issue on the portal shortly. Once the ITD Utility and JSON schema are corrected, filing will resume normally. A chartered accountant (CA) has also highlighted this issue on its Twitter handle, saying, "INCOME TAX PORTAL ERROR: All ITRs being filed today for audited assessees are getting this error. It is advised to wait for changes in ITD Utility and updation in the ITR JSON schema."

INCOME TAX PORTAL ERROR: All ITRs being filed today for audited assessees are getting this error.
It is advised to wait for changes in ITD Utility and updation in ITR Json schema. pic.twitter.com/jzXzsqpe3I — CA Himank Singla (@CAHimankSingla) December 1, 2025

About Author

Saloni Kumari

Content Writer

Saloni is a Content Writer with 2+ years of experience at studycafe.in. She writes legal, taxation, and finance related content including GST, Income Tax etc. Skilled in translating complex judicial pronouncements and regulatory developments into clear, and reader-friendly articles. Experienced in covering judgements of ITAT, High Court, GSTAT, and news related to Income Tax, GST, and corporate law. She can be reached at [email protected].