In India, the penalty for late Income Tax Return (ITR) filing under Section 234F is up to ₹5,000 for returns filed after the due date (usually July 31), or ₹1,000 if total income is ₹5 lakh or less. Additional interest of 1% per month on outstanding tax (Section 234A) also applies.
You avoid paying extra fees when you file on time. This penalty for late filing of ITR can go up to Rs. 5,000. You can carry forward certain losses to set off against future income.
In case you miss filing the ITR within the due date u/s 139(1), you can still file your Income Tax Return, but you may be required to pay a late filing fee of up to ₹5000/-. Additionally, you will also be required to pay interest on the tax liability (if any).
If you owe tax and don't file on time (with extensions), there's also a penalty for not filing on time. The failure-to-file penalty is usually five percent of the tax owed for each month, or part of a month, that your return is late, up to a maximum of 25%.
If you have not filed your Income Tax Return before the due date and you have unpaid tax liabilities, you will also have to pay interest under section 234A. This interest is levied on the amount of unpaid tax at the rate of 1% per month or part of the month during which there is a delay.
An updated return can be filed at any time within 48 months [12 months till 31-03-2025] from the end of the relevant assessment year.
ITR Filing Charges:
Salaried ITR Filing: ₹1,000/- Capital Gain / Share Gain-Loss ITR: ₹1,500/- Business ITR – 44AD Return: ₹2,000/- All other ITR Filing: ₹3,000/-
You can avoid a penalty by filing and paying your tax by the due date. If you can't do so, you can apply for an extension of time to file or a payment plan.
If you file taxes after the October 15 extension deadline, the IRS will assess penalties and interest, primarily a failure-to-file penalty (5% per month, max 25%), plus a separate failure-to-pay penalty (0.5% per month) and daily interest on the unpaid taxes, though you can request penalty abatement for reasonable cause like natural disasters. The October deadline is for filing, not paying; if you owe, payment was due in April, so you'll likely face both penalties and interest until you file and pay, but you won't be penalized if you're due a refund.
your partner or another close relative died shortly before the tax return or payment deadline. you had an unexpected stay in hospital that prevented you from dealing with your tax affairs. you had a serious or life-threatening illness. your computer or software failed while you were preparing your online return.
As an NRI, PIO, or OCI, you may be required to file tax returns in India if your Indian income surpasses the specified threshold or if you seek to claim refunds for excess tax deductions. While filing an ITR is mandatory only under certain circumstances, voluntary filing can be beneficial in many ways.
The time limit for filing of updated return
The time limit provided for filing an updated return is 48 months from the end of the relevant assessment year. In the financial year 2025-26, a person can file an updated return for AY 2024-25, 2023-24, 2022-23, 2021-22.
If you're expecting a refund, there are no penalties or interest charges for filing late. However, filing late will delay your refund and extend the statute of limitations for audits.
For NRIs who have not yet filed their Income Tax Returns for FY 2024–25 (AY 2025–26), the last opportunity to file a belated return is 31 December 2025. Filing after the due date attracts a late fee under section 234F and may result in the loss of certain tax benefits.
No penalty is required to be paid by taxpayers for late filing of ITR if their total income is lower than Rs. 2.5 lakh.
If you missed filing a return within the original deadline, you can file a belated return within 31st December of the relevant assessment year. If you miss this deadline too because of genuine reasons then you may file a condonation of delay request and ask the income tax authorities to condone the delay.
Failure-to-pay penalty is charged for failing to pay your tax by the due date. The late payment penalty is 0.5% of the tax owed after the due date, for each month or part of a month the tax remains unpaid, up to 25%.
You may request up to an additional 6 months to file your U.S. individual income tax return. There are three ways to request an automatic extension of time to file your return. You must request the extension of time to file by the due date of your return to avoid the penalty for filing late.
If you don't file your tax return by the October 15 extension deadline, the IRS charges a failure-to-file penalty of 5% per month (up to 25%) on unpaid taxes, plus a failure-to-pay penalty (0.5% per month), and interest on the total amount due, potentially leading to significant costs, though you can request penalty abatement for reasonable cause, and if you're owed a refund, you generally won't face penalties but risk losing your refund if you wait too long (usually over 3 years).
No, late fee is not applicable if you are liable to pay ITR, but paying voluntarily after the due date. Yes, you can claim a tax refund if you file your ITR after the due date.
We may be able to remove or reduce some penalties if you acted in good faith and can show reasonable cause for why you weren't able to meet your tax obligations. By law we cannot remove or reduce interest unless the penalty is removed or reduced. For more information, see penalty relief.
Yes, you can file your ITR without a CA via our DIY plans. Click here to check out the plans. What is assisted filing? Get an expert to do your taxes for an individual with all kinds of income.
The average cost of tax preparation by a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the U.S. typically ranges from $200–$500 for individual returns and $1,000–$5,000 for small business or corporate returns. Costs depend on the complexity of your taxes, the number of forms required, and your location.
MyITReturn
The portal offers free e-filing facility to salaried employees with income less than Rs. 2.50 lakh. Taxpayers with higher income have paid plans for them, starting from Rs. 199 plus taxes.