The Finance Ministry on Saturday said around 5.89 crore Income Tax Returns (ITRs) had been filed till the December 31 deadline, which is nearly six lakh less than the previous year.
Over 46.11 lakh returns were filed on Friday alone, the ministry said after refraining from extending the ITR filing deadline despite strong arguments from several chartered accountants who are struggling with the new income tax portal developed by Infosys.
In comparison, when the ITR filing deadline for assessment year 2020-21 was extended to January 10, 2021 in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, 5.95 crore IT returns were filed till the deadline There was a decline in the number of taxpayers filing returns. Around 6 lakhs this year. Last year, 31.05 lakh ITRs were filed on the deadline day.
While Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had set a September 15, 2021 deadline for Infosys and the Department of Revenue to plug the loopholes in the discovered portal after it was launched in June, accountants continued to delay the filing process after that deadline. problems were reported.
“The department gratefully acknowledges the contribution of taxpayers, tax practitioners, tax professionals and others who have made this possible. We reiterate our resolve to work tirelessly to ensure a smooth and stable taxpayer service experience for all, the Revenue Department said in a statement on Saturday.
“In order to assist taxpayers with a seamless experience on the portal, 16,850 taxpayer calls and 1,467 chats were answered by the helpdesk. In addition, the department is actively engaging and reaching out to taxpayers and professionals for assistance on its official Twitter handle,” it said, adding that as of December 31, over 230 tweets seeking assistance from taxpayers and professionals have been received. Answer was given.