- Income Tax India said 7.8 crore ITRs were filed for Assessment Year 2026-27 by August thirty-one.
- The total beat the previous year’s reported level of 7.3 crore filings, setting a new record.
- The August deadline mainly covered non-audit business taxpayers, including many ITR-3, ITR-4, ITR-5, and ITR-7 filers.
The Income Tax Department said more than 7.8 crore Income Tax Returns were filed for Assessment Year 2026-27 by the August 31 deadline, setting a new record for returns submitted by that cutoff.
The department gave the figure in a post on X on September 1, 2026. It said the total had crossed the previous year’s reported level of 7.3 crore.
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The update followed a final push before the deadline. Earlier messages from the department had put filings above 7 crore and later above 7.5 crore.
The department credited both taxpayers and tax professionals.
“A record 7.8 Crore+ ITRs have been filed for AY 2026-27 as on August 31, 2026. We sincerely thank the taxpayers and professionals for their timely compliance”
The August cutoff covered taxpayers with business or professional income whose accounts did not require an audit. Many taxpayers filing ITR-3, ITR-4, ITR-5, and ITR-7 fell into that group.
Salaried taxpayers and other individuals without business income generally faced an earlier cutoff. The department’s filing updates therefore tracked more than one wave of submissions during the assessment-year cycle.
The two main filing cutoffs brought in different taxpayer groups
The filing totals rose in stages as different categories reached their respective deadlines.
| Filing stage | Taxpayer group or return category | Reported filings |
|---|---|---|
| July 31, 2026 | ITR-1 and ITR-2 filers, including salaried and other non-business taxpayers | More than 5.9 crore |
| Before the August cutoff | Returns filed ahead of the non-audit business and professional deadline | More than 7 crore |
| Earlier department update | Returns filed before the deadline ended | Over 7.5 crore |
| Final update | Returns filed for AY 2026-27 by the August cutoff | 7.8 crore+ |
The July figure covered more than 5.9 crore ITR-1 and ITR-2 returns. Those forms are commonly used by individual taxpayers in categories covered by the earlier filing date.
The later count included the non-audit business and professional population. It also reflected filings in the other return categories covered by the August deadline.
The department used the phrase “record” for the final tally. A separate comparison cited 7.3 crore filings in the prior year.
The record follows a year of heavier filing activity
The filing calendar for AY 2026-27 used different dates for different taxpayer groups. Many individual taxpayers had a 31 July 2026 deadline, while non-audit business and professional taxpayers had a 31 August 2026 deadline.
Taxpayers whose accounts were subject to audit followed later deadlines. The August date therefore did not apply to every person required to file an income tax return.
The department’s earlier public updates showed the count climbing before the final figure. One update reported more than 7.5 crore returns, while another reported more than 7 crore ahead of the August cutoff.
The progression ended at 7.8 crore-plus.
Income Tax India published the final filing message through its X account on September 1, 2026. The post thanked taxpayers and professionals for completing their filings on time.
The filing window remains open in a limited form for people who missed the original cutoff. They must account for the applicable late fees and interest when submitting a belated return.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax advice. Consult a qualified tax professional or CPA about your specific situation.
