As India races toward the September 15 deadline for filing Income Tax Returns (ITRs) for Assessment Year 2025–26, a wave of frustration is sweeping across the taxpayer community. While the Income Tax Department has confirmed that over 7 crore ITRs have already been filed, many users have encountered persistent glitches in the e-filing portal, prompting calls for an urgent resolution — and even an extension of the due date.
From login failures to issues with downloading key documents like the AIS and TIS, users have flooded social media platforms with complaints. Tax professionals say the portal’s instability is causing significant delays and increasing the risk of filing errors, especially during the high-traffic pre-deadline period.
What’s Going Wrong? Key Issues Faced by Taxpayers
1. Login & Session Timeout Errors
Many users report repeated failures while trying to log into the income tax e-filing portal. Even when login is successful, sessions often time out quickly, leading to lost progress during form filling or verification.
“It’s taking more than an hour just to stay logged in and access basic forms,” said a Bengaluru-based CA on X (formerly Twitter). “The system hangs at every step.”
2. AIS and TIS Not Downloading
The Annual Information Statement (AIS) and Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS) — both essential for accurate filing — are either inaccessible or not updating correctly. Some taxpayers have received outdated or incomplete data.
This has become a bottleneck, particularly for salaried individuals and freelancers who rely on pre-filled data to avoid discrepancies.
3. Delayed Verification and Acknowledgment
Several users have complained that even after successful filing, the ITR-V (verification acknowledgment) is not being generated or emailed. This creates confusion about whether the return has been officially received and processed.
“Filing is one thing, but verification is equally important. If the return isn’t verified within the deadline, it becomes invalid,” said Delhi-based tax consultant Poonam Verma.
4. Challan Generation and Tax Payment Errors
Another major issue involves challan generation and online tax payments. The portal occasionally fails to generate payment receipts, or throws errors during UPI and net banking transactions.
“We’ve had clients who made payments, but no confirmation was received from the bank or the portal,” noted an accountant from Mumbai.
High Filing Volume Meets Fragile Infrastructure
Despite the issues, the number of filings has surged:
- Over 7 crore ITRs have been filed — a significant jump from the previous year.
- The Income Tax Department has encouraged users to file early and avoid last-minute rushes.
However, professionals say the infrastructure of the e-filing portal is not scaling proportionately with rising usage. Peak-hour crashes, unresponsive tabs, and page loading delays have become a recurring theme.
“Every year we see the same pattern. The portal slows down or becomes inaccessible during the final week. It’s high time this was addressed at a system level,” said CA Harsh Jain.
No Extension (Yet), But Demands Are Rising
The government had earlier extended the deadline to September 15 from July 31, mainly due to form revisions and backend updates. But no further extensions have been announced, and the department has issued warnings against believing in deadline extension rumors.
However, with mounting user complaints and public outcry on social media, several tax advocacy bodies have appealed to the Ministry of Finance to consider another extension — at least by a week.
“When technical errors delay filing, it’s unfair to penalize taxpayers with late fees,” said a statement from the All India Federation of Tax Practitioners (AIFTP).
Income Tax Department’s Response
In a press release, the Income Tax Department confirmed that the portal is functional, and that the majority of filings are being completed without issue. It asked users facing persistent problems to:
- Clear browser cache and cookies
- Switch browsers (try Chrome, Edge, Firefox)
- Avoid peak hours if possible
- Email issues with PAN and mobile number to the IT helpdesk
While this has worked for some, many users claim these measures don’t solve deeper server-side issues — particularly around data retrieval and payment gateway synchronization.
How Taxpayers Are Coping
To work around the portal instability, taxpayers and professionals are adopting stopgap solutions:
- Filing during off-peak hours (late night or early morning)
- Using desktop versions of the portal instead of mobile apps
- Downloading and manually uploading AIS/TIS documents
- Keeping screenshots or transaction IDs as proof in case verification fails later
Some have even begun preparing draft responses in advance in offline Excel templates, hoping to cut down submission time during the actual filing.
Consequences of Missing the Deadline
Filing after September 15 (unless the government extends it) could lead to:
- A late filing fee under Section 234F (₹1,000 to ₹5,000 depending on income)
- Interest on unpaid taxes under Section 234A
- Loss of certain deductions, carry-forward benefits, and refund delays
Tax experts caution that even a day’s delay could affect refund timelines and create compliance risks.
Public Sentiment and Social Media Buzz
On social media platforms like X, Reddit, and LinkedIn, users are posting screenshots of errors, tagging the Income Tax Department, and using hashtags like #ITRGlitch, #ExtendITRDeadline, and #ITRPortalDown.
Memes mocking the recurring issues have gone viral, with many comparing the filing experience to a video game with “crashes and bugs at every level.”
Despite the humor, the underlying sentiment is clear: Taxpayers want a smoother, more reliable digital experience.
Conclusion: Tech Troubles Overshadow Tax Compliance Effort
India’s tax compliance landscape has made massive strides in recent years — the fact that over 7 crore returns have been filed ahead of the deadline shows growing participation and awareness.
However, the persistent tech hiccups during critical filing windows cast a shadow over this progress. While the Income Tax Department has done well to digitize and simplify filing over the years, the recurring infrastructure breakdowns signal the need for serious backend reforms.
Until then, taxpayers — especially those filing at the last minute — are left navigating a system that often tests their patience more than their financial knowledge.
