ITR 2019-20: Govt extends deadline till 10 Jan; individuals, firms requiring audit can file income tax return by 15 Feb

The government on Wednesday extended the deadline to file income tax returns for the third time allowing individuals to file income tax returns for 2019-20 fiscal till 10 January. The deadline for companies and individuals who need to get their accounts audited too has been extended by 15 days till 15 February, the finance ministry said in a statement, according to PTI. The due date for filing income tax return (ITR) by individuals and companies was 31 December, 2020, and 31 January, 2021, respectively. The last date to file ITR for AY2020-21 has been extended till 10 January for individuals who don’t need their accounts audited. Over 4.54 crore ITRs for Financial Year 2019-20 (Assessment Year 2020-21) were filed till 28 December. In the comparable period last year, 4.77 crore income tax returns were filed. At the close of the deadline for filing ITRs without payment of late fees for fiscal 2018-19 (Assessment Year 2019-20), over 5.65 crore returns were filed by taxpayers. The income tax department tweeted that the extension in various deadline was given in view of the continued challenges faced by taxpayers in meeting statutory compliances due to the outbreak of COVID-19. Also, the due date for filing declaration under the direct tax dispute resolution scheme Vivad Se Vishwas has been extended by a month till 31 January. The deadline for filing GST annual return for 2019-20 fiscal has been extended by two months till 28 February, 2021 Here are the steps to file ITR 2019-2020: Step 1: Taxpayers need to log on to the official website incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in. Step 2: Next they need to tap on New to e-filling if one is registering for the first time. One can click on the registered user if they have already registered. Step 3: Taxpayers need to select the User type and then enter PAN card detail, surname, middle name, first name, date of birth, and residential status. Step 4: Fill the registration form and verify the registration. Step 5: After successfully registering, login and file return, providing all relevant documents. For those who do not have a digital signature, they can verify their return either electronically using Aadhaar OTP or Electronic Verification Code Method or by sending it to the Income Tax Department. Follow this link to find out about ways to e-verify your 2019-2020 filing. With inputs from PTI