Last dates, late fees and what you lose by filing late
Updated 29 October 2026
If you have not filed your income tax return for FY 2025-26 (assessment year 2026-27) by the due date, you can still file a belated return. If you filed but made a mistake, you can revise it. This guide explains the options, the last dates and the costs.
If your due date has passed, the options below apply.
A return filed after the due date is a belated return. For AY 2026-27 it can be filed up to 31 December 2026, or before the assessment is completed, whichever is earlier. Filing late has these costs:
If you find a mistake or omission in a return already filed (on time or belated), you can file a revised return. For AY 2026-27 the Finance Act, 2026 allows revision up to 31 March 2027, or before the assessment is completed, whichever is earlier.
A revised return filed after 31 December 2026 carries a fee of ₹1,000 (total income up to ₹5 lakh) or ₹5,000 (above ₹5 lakh). Revising on or before 31 December 2026 has no fee, so it is better to correct mistakes early.
After the belated and revised return dates have passed, you can still report income you left out by filing an updated return in Form ITR-U, within 48 months from the end of the assessment year. You must pay additional tax on top of the tax and interest:
An updated return cannot be used to claim a refund, reduce your tax or increase a loss, and it is not available in some cases, such as after a search or survey, or once an assessment has started for that year.
Returns for FY 2025-26 are filed under the Income-tax Act, 1961. From the year that began on 1 April 2026, the Income-tax Act, 2025 applies, with new section numbers and a single tax year. See our guide to the Income-tax Act, 2025.
This guide is general information based on the law as on the date shown above, and is not professional advice. Rules and due dates change, and the right course depends on your facts. Please speak to us before acting on it.
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31 December 2026, or before the assessment is completed, whichever is earlier.
A late fee of ₹5,000, reduced to ₹1,000 if total income is up to ₹5 lakh, plus interest at 1% a month on unpaid tax. There is no late fee if your income is below the basic exemption limit.
If you do not have business or professional income, the option to choose the old regime is available only in a return filed by the due date, so a belated return is processed under the new regime.
File a revised return. For AY 2026-27 this is allowed up to 31 March 2027, but a fee applies to revisions filed after 31 December 2026.
Yes, a refund due can be claimed in a belated return filed by 31 December 2026. An updated return (ITR-U), however, cannot be used to claim a refund.