New Delhi, 31 July (H.S.): The deadline for filing Income Tax Returns (ITRs) ends today, with more than 5.5 crore returns already filed for Assessment Year 2026-27. Taxpayers who fail to submit their income tax returns by the due date can still file a belated return by December 31 after paying the applicable penalty.

The Income Tax Department said that more than 42 lakh ITRs were filed on July 30 alone. The department urged taxpayers to complete their filing process without delay to avoid penalties and said, File your return comfortably now at [http://incometax.gov.in](http://incometax.gov.in).

It may be noted that July 31 is the last date for individual taxpayers, salaried employees and Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) who are not required to undergo tax audit. Such taxpayers are required to file their returns using forms ITR-1 (Sahaj) or ITR-2.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar