New Delhi, July 27 -- Income tax returns (ITRs) filed for assessment year (AY) 2026-27 crossed the 40 million mark on 26 July, with more than 2 million returns filed in the past five days alone, as individual taxpayers rushed to meet the 31 July deadline.

The Income Tax Department, in a post on X, urged taxpayers to not wait until the last minute, noting that over 40 million returns had already been filed. The surge comes even though this year's filing calendar has been staggered, with 31 July applicable mainly to individual taxpayers filing ITR-1 and ITR-2, while several business taxpayers have later deadlines.

The income tax department has increasingly relied on technology-driven compliance measures, including pre-filled returns, annu...