‘Something went wrong’: Users slam glitchy tax portal as ₹5,000 late fee deadline nears

With just three days left before the September 15 deadline to file Income Tax Returns (ITR) for Assessment Year 2025-26, several users have taken to social media to report persistent glitches and errors on the Income Tax portal. From access denial messages to malfunctioning AIS pages, taxpayers and chartered accountants (CAs) alike are expressing frustration and urging the Finance Ministry to consider an urgent extension of the ITR filing deadline.

Many users have shared screenshots of error messages such as "Something went wrong, please try again later" and "Access denied", which have disrupted their filing process. One user compared the experience to "watching a horror movie alone at midnight," while another said the AIS page has been down for a week with no resolution in sight.

Adding to the chorus of complaints, a CA wrote on X, "Daily Dose of #IncomeTaxPortal Errors. One new error a day keeps the CA & Doctor closer." He also pointed out frequent issues like the portal rejecting valid PAN formats or returning null errors, making the filing process extremely stressful.

Another tax professional highlighted broader challenges, saying, “Filing ITR in 2025 = Nightmare. Forms released late, portal full of glitches, floods across India, clashing with Tax Audit & AGM deadlines.” Many CAs have echoed similar concerns, blaming the delay in releasing ITR forms and repeated changes in form structure as contributing factors to the filing chaos.

Penalties for missing the deadline

As of now, the deadline for filing ITRs remains September 15, 2025. Taxpayers who miss this due date can still file a belated return until December 31, 2025, but it comes at a cost. A late filing fee of ₹5,000 will be levied. However, for those with a total taxable income below ₹5 lakh, the penalty is reduced to ₹1,000.

Filing before the deadline helps avoid not just these penalties, but also interest charges on unpaid taxes and delays in refund processing.

Filing progress so far

According to the latest data from the Income Tax Department, more than 5.95 crore ITRs have been filed up to September 12, with over 5.51 crore already verified. Nearly 3.78 crore verified returns have been processed by the department, indicating that a large number of taxpayers have successfully completed their filings, despite the technical hiccups.