New Delhi, Aug. 22 -- More than 6.5 crore income tax returns have already been filed for assessment year (AY) 2026-27, including over 2 crore ITR-3 and ITR-4 returns. The deadline to file ITR for several categories of taxpayers who are not required to get their accounts audited is just days away.

The income tax department has therefore urged taxpayers to avoid the last-minute rush and file their returns before August 31, 2026.

"Over 6.5 Crore ITRs have already been filed for AY 2026-27, including more than 2 Crore ITRs 3 & 4 as on August 20, 2026. Avoid the last-minute rush. File your ITR-3, 4, 5 & 7 (non-audit) before 31st August 2026," income tax department said in a X (formerly Twitter) post on Friday.

The August 31 applies to both ...