New Delhi, Oct. 24 -- The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has extended the income tax return filing deadline for taxpayers subject to audit requirements from October 31 to November 21, 2026, giving them additional time to do the needful.

The deadline for submitting tax audit reports for Assessment Year (AY) 2026-27 was also extended from September 30 to October 21, 2026.

The extensions came after chartered accountants and tax practitioners urged the government to provide more time for submitting tax audit reports, which are due a month before the return filing deadline.

The wave of demand, witnessed on social media, was driven partly by the heavy work overload in September, when tax professionals must also handle GST filings, comp...