Is your ITR filing incomplete? CBDT gives one time relaxation till this date

New Delhi: In what could be considered as good news for the taxpayers, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on Monday permitted more time to people who have filed tax returns electronically in the last five years but have not completed the filing process by authenticating either electronically or by sending a signed physical copy can now rectify the returns by opting for a one-time opportunity.

The CBDT in a circular said that the taxpayers who have not verified the returns electronically filed in assessment years 2015-16 to 2019-20 can now do the verification either by sending the signed physical copy (form ITR-V) or by any of the five specified electronic methods by the end of September.

“In law, consequences of non-filing the ITR-V within the time allowed is significant as such a return is/can be declared ‘Non-est’ in law, thereafter, all the consequences for non-filing a tax return, as specified in the Income-tax Act, 1961 (Act) follow,” it said.

The circular, however, clarified that “this relaxation shall not apply in those cases, where during the intervening period, Income Tax Department has already taken recourse to any other measure as specified in the Act for ensuring filing of tax return by the taxpayer concerned after declaring the return as non-est”.