With the September 15 deadline for filing income tax returns (ITRs) for Assessment Year 2025–26 drawing closer, on the e-filing portal.
Instead of a seamless process, many are finding themselves dealing with mismatched data, sluggish servers, and authentication failures, turning what should be routine compliance into a stressful exercise.
IndiaToday.in spoke with CA (Dr) Suresh Surana and Sudhir Kaushik, Co-founder & CEO of Taxspanner (a Zaggle company), to decode the glitches and delays as the 15 September ITR filing deadline approaches.
One of the most common challenges this year has been the These discrepancies are especially noticeable in dividend income, capital gains from mutual funds, and interest entries, often inflating income figures and forcing taxpayers to spend hours reconciling details.
Dr Surana explained, “Taxpayers and professionals are reporting widespread mismatches between AIS/TIS and Form 26AS, particularly in relation to capital gains, mutual fund entries and dividend income, which often results in inflated income figures requiring extensive reconciliation.”
Adding to the strain, , some as late as July and August. For businesses and professionals who need to compile multiple details, this delay has only tightened timelines.
The portal itself has been far from trouble-free. Taxpayers are encountering login failures, OTP validation errors, delays in Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) authentication, and slow response times during peak hours.
Sudhir Kaushik says, “The e-filing portal sometimes faces heavy traffic, especially close to deadlines. This can cause log-in issues or slow submission. Certain ITR forms may also show calculation or validation errors that prevent submission.”
As glitches persist and the deadline looms, speculation around a possible extension is picking up pace. However, there has been no official word from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
According to Dr Surana, “While trade and professional bodies have represented the authorities, citing persisting portal glitches, data mismatches and compressed timelines, the decision ultimately rests with the Government.” He also advised taxpayers not to wait for an extension and to file within the current deadline.
Kaushik, however, struck a more cautious note: “Historically, extensions were often granted if the portal faces widespread technical issues. For FY 2024–25, considering glitches have been reported early, there is less chance of a long extension. At best, a short extension of one to two weeks might come, but the government usually announces it in the last week of the deadline.”
The glitches don’t just slow down the process—they can also lead to errors in returns or hold up refunds. If mismatched or incomplete pre-filled data slips through, returns may be flagged for adjustments, generating extra notices for taxpayers.
Dr Surana cautioned, “Mismatches between AIS/TIS and Form 26AS or incomplete prefill of data increase the risk of inadvertent errors or under-reporting, which may trigger system-generated adjustments or notices at the Centralised Processing Centre.”
Kaushik agreed, adding, “Errors in ITRs can cause rejected returns or the need to file a revised ITR. Refund processing may also be slowed if returns are flagged for manual verification due to incorrect details.”
Salaried individuals filing simple ITRs face fewer issues, though mismatches in salary or dividend data are still cropping up. Senior citizens relying heavily on interest income sometimes find duplicate reporting in AIS, leading to inflated tax liability.
For business owners and professionals, the situation is more complex. They must handle tax audits, depreciation schedules, presumptive income disclosures and other detailed requirements, while also tackling DSC authentication failures and portal slowdowns.
As Dr Surana puts it, “Business and professional taxpayers are significantly impacted due to the staggered release of updated audit report utilities, DSC authentication failures, and portal slowdowns that hamper timely uploading of audit reports and ITRs.”
The Income Tax Department has expanded its digital systems in recent years, and last year nearly 70 million ITRs were filed by July 31, showing that the infrastructure can handle high traffic. But taxpayers still report slower responses and occasional outages near deadlines.
Kaushik remarked, “Past trends show they can handle last-minute traffic, but taxpayers may face slower response times and temporary portal outages.”
Dr Surana, however, urged caution: “System bottlenecks tend to intensify during the final days before the deadline. Taxpayers should therefore avoid waiting until the last minute and complete their filings well before the deadline to minimise exposure to such risks.”
Simply put, while the portal is better equipped than in the past, taxpayers are still navigating multiple glitches, mismatches and delays. Whether or not the government grants an extension, the safest bet is to file early, reconcile data carefully, and keep supporting documents ready.