Persistent glitches at the new income tax portal have prompted tax professionals to urge union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman to extend the income tax filing deadline to February 28, 2022.

The last date for filing returns for assessment year 2021-22 is December 31.

Direct Tax Professionals’ Association has listed several problems with the new income tax portal, which was inaugurated in June but has since faced flak on account of multiple technical glitches .

According to the DTPA, the income tax portal is not allowing the filing of Form 10-IE, which allows taxpayers to exercise/withdraw the option on the new income tax regime.

Companies are facing problems in filing Form 10-IC if they have chosen to pay concessional tax at the rate of 22 per cent under section115BAA of the Income Tax Act.

“On behalf of our association, we request your kind intervention for the extension of the due dates of filing of returns at least till 28th February, 2022 and also your help to early resolution of pending problems faced by the taxpayers in the new Income Tax portal,” said Kamal Kumar Jain, president DTPA and Narayan Jain, chairman, representation committee, DTPA in a letter to the finance minister.

CBDT has disclosed a total of 3,71,74,810 income tax returns have been filed up to December 17, 2021. The government in a statement earlier this month had urged tax assesses to avoid last minute rush and file their returns before the deadline.

Net Direct Tax collections for 2021-22 as on December 16, 2021 was Rs 9.45 lakh crore, posting a 60 per cent growth in collections over corresponding period of previous year. Cumulative advance tax collections as on December 16 was at Rs. 4.60 lakh crore posting a year on year growth of 53.5 per cent.