The Income Tax Filing Calendar: Key Dates You Shouldn't Miss

The two main deadlines

For most individual taxpayers (no business audit requirement), the ITR filing deadline for AY 2027-28 (income earned in FY 2026-27) is 31 July 2027. Taxpayers whose accounts require a tax audit get until 31 October 2027.

Advance tax instalments happen well before filing

Filing in July doesn't mean tax itself is only due then - see our advance tax article for the instalments due through the preceding financial year, well before the return is even filed.

What a belated return means

Missing the deadline doesn't mean you can't file at all - a belated return can still be filed later, up to a cutoff set each year, but it comes with real downsides: a late fee, restrictions on carrying forward certain losses to future years, and interest on any unpaid tax continuing to accrue.

(Deadlines checked as of September 2026 for AY 2027-28. The government occasionally extends these dates - check for an official extension notification before assuming the standard date has moved.)

The practical takeaway

Treat the July deadline as the real one to plan around, even if a technical extension sometimes gets announced - filing early also means faster refund processing if one is due.