The July 31, 2026, deadline for filing income tax returns (ITRs) for salaried, pensioners, students and others who are not required to conduct a tax audit , is approaching fast, and many income taxpayers are yet to file their income tax return . The tax filing process for a lot of taxpayers is smoother than earlier years thanks for the Income Tax Department (I-T) working to resolve technical glitches many taxpayers experienced in the past. Moreover, the tax forms for AY 2026-2027 have been released a lot earlier than last year (AY 2025-2026), so the load on the ITR e-filing computer system is distributed across a larger timeframe than last year. Also, ITR-3 and ITR-4 forms which are usually filed by those who have business or professional income or opt for presumptive taxation scheme, need to follow the August 31, 2026, due date to file ITR as announced in Budget 2026. But many ITR filers are still reporting glitches they are facing on the ITR portal. Since more people file their ITR closer to the July 31 deadline and volume is expected to surge considerably, the portal may face more glitches. As it happened last year when the Income Tax (I-T) Department extended the ITR filing deadline twice, from July 31 to September 15 and then to September 16, can it also do the same by extending the July 31 deadline? Chartered accountant (CA), Abhishek Soni, CEO & co-founder, Tax2win, told ET Wealth Online that as of now, the deadline extension seems unlikely, but he doesn’t rule out extending it if glitches continue. “As of now, it seems unlikely. The Income Tax Department has said that the e-filing portal is working smoothly, and it has taken steps to fix technical issues before the deadline,” says Soni. Soni says if major portal glitches continue and prevent many taxpayers from filing their returns, the government may still consider an extension. “Until then, it is better to file your ITR before July 31 instead of waiting for a possible extension,” advises Soni to ITR filers. CA Avinash Kumar Rao, partner at Mohindra & Associates, however, has other views. Rao told ET Wealth Online that the government should either resolve technical glitches or give a deadline extension of about a week. “Persistent technical issues on the portal, particularly in fetching Form 26AS, AIS, website functioning and certain validation-related data, coupled with processing delays on the TRACES portal, have adversely impacted the ability of taxpayers. The government should either ensure that these technical issues are resolved immediately or, if such glitches continue during the final days, consider granting a short extension of about a week,” demands Rao. Manas Chugh, head, regulatory services, Osgan Consultants, told ET Wealth Online taxpayers have reported minor technical glitches this year but that do not justify extending the July 31 deadline. “In the absence of any widespread or sustained disruption, the chances of an extension remain remote. Salaried taxpayers should not wait for a possible extension and must proceed on the clear assumption that July 31 is the final deadline,” suggests Chugh. Has separate deadline of ITR Forms 3 and 4 reduced burdens on the ITR portal? Chugh says the separate August 31 deadline for ITR-3 and ITR-4 forms has helped distribute the filing load more evenly and reduce the customary last-minute pressure on the portal. “This staggered approach is a key reason the portal has functioned relatively smoothly this year,” says Chugh. Rao too seconds Chugh saying the staggering of due dates has significantly reduced the filing load on the portal during July. “Considering these factors, a blanket extension of the July 31, 2026, due date appears unlikely,” opines Rao. Which taxpayers have August 31 as the deadline to file ITR? Shaily Gupta, partner, Khaitan undefined and (c) certain trusts, to August 31. Gupta says the additional month is intended to provide taxpayers with adequate time to finalise their books of account and complete the return filing process.