Disallowing Belated ITR Filing under Old Regime

Dear Members,

I want to raise a concern regarding the restriction placed on filing belated ITR under the Old Tax Regime.

Though I could not file my return before the extended deadline due to an emergency and unavoidable personal situation, it feels unfair that individuals are not permitted to file belated returns under the Old Regime.

I wish to clarify that I am not claiming any refund, and I have genuine investments made which are eligible under the Old Regime. However, because of this restriction, I am being forced into the New Regime (default option for belated ITR-1) and this results in over ₹1 lakh additional tax liability.

Blocking Old Regime for belated returns penalises genuine taxpayers like me, even though my delay was not intentional.

I request guidance from experts here:

• Is there any solution, representation, or rectification request possible in such cases?

• Can CBDT consider a relaxation for genuine taxpayers who are ready to forego refunds but only want to claim their rightful deductions under Old Regime?

Your suggestions will be highly appreciated.