Tax Professionals Seek Extension of Tax Audit and Audited ITR Filing Deadline From September 30 to October 31, 2026:

Tax professionals have urged the Finance Ministry to extend the deadline for filing Tax Audit Reports and audited Income Tax Returns for FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27). In a representation, CA Harpreet Singh Lamba requested that the deadline, currently set for September 30, 2026, be extended to October 31, 2026.

The representation said that tax professionals are facing considerable pressure as they have only around one month to complete tax audits and file the related returns. Tax audits require detailed checking of books of accounts, financial statements, GST and TDS records, bank statements, AIS, Form 26AS and other supporting documents.

Another major concern raised is the late release of Income Tax Return forms and related utilities this year. The representation pointed out that ITR-3 was released on June 18, ITR-5 on July 7, ITR-7 on July 9 and ITR-6 only on August 4, 2026. According to tax professionals, the delayed availability of these forms has reduced the actual time available for preparing and filing audit-related returns.

The representation also highlighted the heavy workload during the July-to-October period. Tax professionals are simultaneously dealing with GST and TDS/TCS compliances, MCA filings, statutory audits, finalisation of accounts and other regulatory requirements. This overlap, it said, is making it difficult to complete tax audits properly within the existing timeline.

Technical issues on the income-tax portal and differences in information appearing in AIS, Form 26AS and TDS records are another concern. Professionals often have to spend additional time reconciling such discrepancies before filing returns, which can further delay the process.

The representation said that extending the deadline would give taxpayers and professionals sufficient time to complete audits, verify information and file accurate and complete returns. It could also help reduce last-minute filing pressure, technical problems and the need for later corrections.

CA Harpreet Singh Lamba has therefore requested the government to extend the Tax Audit Report deadline to October 31, 2026 and provide a corresponding extension for Forms 10B, 10BB and other audit-related forms and reports. Alternatively, he has requested that the deadlines for tax audit reports and audited income-tax returns be aligned to October 31 so that both compliances can be completed together.