Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 28: The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on Monday extended the deadline for filing income-tax returns for assessment year (AY) 2026-27 from October 31 to November 21 for taxpayers whose accounts are required to be audited under the Income-tax Act, 1961.

According to an official statement, the 'specified date' for furnishing the tax audit report has also been extended from September 30 to October 21.

The CBDT said a formal notification regarding the extension would be issued separately.

The demand for extending the deadlines had gained momentum in recent weeks, with several chartered accountant associations and tax professionals seeking additional time. They had cited the time required to complete audit procedures, verify disclosures and reconcile information across various tax and financial records.

The extension is expected to provide taxpayers and auditors additional time to complete the audit process and submit the required reports through the income-tax e-filing portal, while also facilitating ease of doing business.

Meanwhile, the government's net direct tax collections grew 13 per cent to more than Rs 12.12 lakh crore between April 1 and September 17 of the current financial year, compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, official data showed.

Gross direct tax collections rose by more than 15 per cent year-on-year to Rs 14.3 lakh crore during the period.

Corporate tax collections increased 19.48 per cent to around Rs 5.56 lakh crore, while personal income tax and collections from Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) grew 6 per cent to more than Rs 6.16 lakh crore.

Securities Transactions Tax (STT) collections recorded a sharp 53 per cent increase to Rs 40,214 crore between April 1 and September 17, compared to the same period a year earlier.

Refunds issued during the period also increased by more than 29 per cent, crossing Rs 2.2 lakh crore, the data showed.