With the last date for filing your income tax returns (ITR) just a day away, many have received what looks like a notice from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) that the deadline has been extended to September 31, 2019. The CBDT has clarified that this is false. The last date to file your taxes is still August 31, 2019.
“It has come to the notice of CBDT that an order is being circulated on social media pertaining to extension of due dt for filing of IT Returns. It is categorically stated that the said order is not genuine. Taxpayers are advised to file Returns within extended due dt of 31.08.2019,” it tweeted.
The false notice that was doing the rounds was even picked up by a few media outlets. The notice reads that a few taxpayers are facing difficulties in filing their IT returns for various reasons, including the extension of due date for issue of Form 16. The notice states that in this regard, the Central Board of Direct Taxes in exercise of its powers conferred under section 119 of the Income Tax Act hereby extends the due date to September 30, 2019.
The deadline for filing income tax returns (ITR), which was earlier July 31, 2019, was extended by a month to August 31. This includes all taxpayers who were liable to file their income tax returns by July 31, 2019.
A late fee of Rs 5,000 is usually levied on individuals if ITR is not filed before the due date and is filed before December 31. Those who file their taxes the next year (between January 1 and March 31) will have to pay a late filing fee of Rs 10,000.
Earlier this month, fake SMSs were also doing the rounds pretending to be from the Income Tax Department, to trick people into sharing bank details.
According to the Pune-based Quick Heal Technologies, the messages open on a positive note to attract the recipient's attention, saying he/she has been approved an income-tax refund of a certain amount.
The message is then followed by a wrong bank account number and asks the recipient to click a link if the account number is not correct, thereby making him/her a naive victim.
The fraudulent link opens up a website similar to the I-T Department site, and the victim is asked to enter their login details created on the I-T Department website.