E-Filing Portal Glitches: Concerns Over ITR Filing Delays for 2025

E-Filing Portal Challenges: ITR Filing 2025

As the September filing season approaches, tax professionals and industry groups across India are raising red flags over persistent glitches on the Income Tax Department’s e-filing portal. With compressed timelines due to late release of utilities, the burden on both taxpayers and chartered accountants has intensified, putting timely filing of ITRs for FY 2024-25 at risk.

Recent Issues Reported

AIS/TIS outages – Users across multiple states reported being unable to download Annual Information Statement (AIS) and Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS) for several days last week.
Severe slowdown – On August 13–14, the portal experienced major slowdowns, with logins, uploads, and verifications repeatedly timing out.
Data mismatches – Form 26AS, AIS, and TIS often reflect different figures for the same PAN, creating reconciliation challenges.
Increased data fields – New ITR forms mandate landlord PAN/address for HRA claims, insurance policy numbers for deductions, and more. Preparation time has effectively doubled in many cases.

Example: A Delhi-based consultant managing 50 clients noted:

“Half the cases have AIS/TIS failures. Data-entry in the new forms is nearly double compared to last year.”

Systemic Technical Problems

Repeated upload failures for ITRs and tax audit forms.
Slow logins and session timeouts during peak hours.
Compatibility issues with newly released utilities—requiring multiple patches.
Prefill discrepancies with AIS vs. brokerage and salary statements.
Frequent e-verification errors post-submission.

Delayed Utility Releases: A Major Concern

Traditionally, ITR utilities are issued in April. This year, most were only released in July/August:

ITR-5: August 9
ITR-6 & ITR-7: Still pending release

With due dates fast approaching:

Non-audit cases: September 15, 2025
Audit cases: September 30, 2025

The truncated compliance window has sparked industry-wide frustration. The Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI) formally requested deadline extensions in a letter to CBDT on August 11, 2025.

Experts’ Recommendations

Extend statutory deadlines – ITR, Tax Audits, ROC filings, and GST Annual Returns.
Transparent communication – The Department should issue real-time updates on errors and expected fixes via official X/Twitter handles.

Practical Tips: Managing Portal Glitches

File off-peak – Try logging in early mornings or late nights.
Verify data manually – Cross-check AIS, TIS, Form 26AS, and broker statements. Correct mismatches before submission.
Use AIS feedback tool – Report discrepancies directly on the portal.
Prepare documents in advance – Keep landlord PAN/address, policy numbers, and deduction proofs ready to save time.

FAQs

1. AIS/TIS not downloading – what should I do? Attempt access during non-peak hours, clear cache, or switch browsers. If unresolved, raise a Grievance Redressal ticket and submit feedback via the AIS tool. Track updates on @IncomeTaxIndia (X).

2. Can I file if AIS/26AS figures don’t match? Yes, but reconcile using the portal’s feedback tool. Filing with mismatches may delay processing or trigger notices u/s 143(1). Keep supporting documents handy.

3. Will deadlines be extended? Industry chambers (e.g., GCCI) have already sought extensions. While no official announcement has been made, past precedent suggests some relief is possible.

4. What new details are required in ITR 2025 forms?

HRA claims: Landlord PAN & property address
Insurance deductions: Policy numbers
Investments & exemptions: More granular disclosures

Final Word

With deadlines looming, portal instability plus delayed utilities have created a stressful compliance season. Taxpayers and professionals are advised to begin filings early, double-check data, and watch for CBDT notifications regarding possible extensions.