ITR Last Date: Today is the last date for filing an income tax return; If you miss the date of 31st July then you will get this chance till 31st December

The last date for filing Income Tax Return (ITR) for the financial year 2022-23 is July 31, 2023. If you miss filing ITR even on this day, you can file a belated return till December 31, 2023, with a penalty. There is an opportunity to file belated returns after the end of the original deadline for filing returns for a financial year.

There is scope for filing belated returns with a penalty under section 234F for non-filing of returns within the prescribed time limit for any assessment year under section 139(1) of the Income Tax Act. If the total income of the income taxpayer does not exceed 5 lakhs then he will have to pay a penalty of Rs 1,000. If the income is more than 5 lakhs then there will be a fine of Rs 5,000. If the income is less than the exemption limit (2.50 lakh), then there will be no penalty. Till July 30, 2023, more than 6 crore returns have been filed. 26.76 lakh ITRs were filed till 6.30 pm on Sunday alone.

Interest will have to be paid along with the penalty

The calculation of the penalty for non-filing of return starts from the date after the due date i.e. July 31, 2023. Hence, the longer the delay in filing ITR, the higher the penalty. Along with the fine, interest will also be charged. If you do not file the return on or before the due date, interest under Section 234A of the Income Tax Act shall be payable at the rate of one percent for every month or part of the month on the outstanding tax. ITR cannot be filed if tax is not paid.

If not filed even till 31st December...

If you do not file ITR even by December 31, 2023, then the Income Tax Department can issue you a show cause notice. If your explanation is not found satisfactory, the Income Tax Department may initiate the process of prosecution in the matter as per its statutory authority. In this, the income taxpayer concerned can be punished with imprisonment for a maximum of seven years.

...then the refund will come on time

Adhil Shetty, CEO of Bank Bazaar, says that to avoid loss, ITR must be filled on time. There are many benefits of filing returns on time. One of them is a timely refund. Also, if you file ITR by the due date, you can carry forward your loss to subsequent financial years.

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