70 Million ITRs Already Filed for AY 2026-27, Dept Urges Timely Compliance

Delhi – As of today, more than 70 million income‑tax returns for assessment year 2026‑27 have been uploaded on the e‑filing portal, the Income Tax Department disclosed on Friday. The notice appealed to business owners and professionals who are not mandated to undergo an audit, asking them to file before the strict August 31, 2026 deadline.

The department’s X post stated that the last date applies only to taxpayers whose earnings arise from a trade, business or profession and who fall outside the audit scope. It urged them not to linger until the eleventh hour.

In July, the department had communicated that 5.9 million returns were filed by the July 31 cut‑off, with over four million of those filed on the deadline itself. Those numbers pertained to non‑audit individuals and entities.

Even after the July deadline, a considerable number of eligible taxpayers continued to file, pushing the overall count past the 70‑million milestone. Authorities attributed this surge to the increasing availability of online filing tools and the robustness of the digital tax infrastructure.

Given the typical surge in portal usage during the final days, the department warned of possible system slowdowns and recommended early filing to avoid any inconvenience.