The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) has requested the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) to extend the due dates for filing annual e-forms under the Companies Act, 2013, until December 31, 2026, without levying additional fees.
In its letter dated October 9, 2026, addressed to the Secretary of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, ICSI highlighted the technical difficulties faced by companies and professionals while filing annual returns and financial statements through the MCA-21 Version 3 (V3) portal.
MCA-21 V3 Portal Issues Affect Annual Filings
ICSI stated that it has received several representations from stakeholders reporting persistent technical problems on the MCA-21 V3 portal. These include frequent downtime, slow response times, session timeouts, login difficulties, errors in pre-filled data, Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) association issues and form validation failures despite correct data entry.
Stakeholders have also reported problems with Service Request Number (SRN) generation, payment processing, challans, and tracking filed forms and approvals.
According to the Institute, these issues are making it difficult for companies and professionals to complete statutory filings within the prescribed timelines.
Revised Annual Filing Forms Increase Compliance Work
ICSI also pointed out that the migration of annual filing forms to the MCA-21 V3 framework has introduced structural changes and expanded disclosure requirements.
Forms such as AOC-4 and MGT-7 now require more information to be captured directly within the forms, reducing dependence on attachments and increasing the time required for preparation and filing.
The Institute further highlighted the additional work involved in preparing annual financial statements, annual returns and XBRL filings, which require detailed tagging, validation and reconciliation. These requirements, combined with portal-related technical issues, have added to the compliance burden.
ICSI also noted that the portal frequently experiences disruptions during peak working hours because of heavy traffic.
ICSI Seeks Extension for Key MCA Annual Filing Forms
Considering these difficulties, ICSI has requested the MCA to extend the filing deadlines for the following forms until December 31, 2026, without additional fees:
- AOC-4
- AOC-4 (CFS)
- AOC-4 (XBRL)
- AOC-4 NBFC (Ind AS)
- AOC-4 CFS NBFC (Ind AS)
- DIR-12
- ADT-1
- MGT-7
- MGT-7A
The Institute has requested a one-time extension, stating that it would provide companies and professionals with sufficient time to complete their filings accurately and meet the enhanced disclosure requirements.
ICSI Cites CBDT's Extension of Tax Audit and ITR Deadlines
In support of its request, ICSI referred to the Central Board of Direct Taxes' (CBDT) decision to extend certain income tax compliance deadlines for Assessment Year 2026-27.
As mentioned in the letter, CBDT Circular No. 07/2026 dated September 28, 2026, extended the income tax return filing deadline for audit cases from October 31, 2026, to November 21, 2026. The deadline for submitting tax audit reports was also extended from September 30, 2026, to October 21, 2026.
ICSI has cited this extension as a precedent for providing similar relief to stakeholders facing difficulties with MCA annual filings.
MCA's Decision Awaited
ICSI has urged the Ministry to consider the request in the interest of companies, professionals and other stakeholders, noting that a one-time extension without additional fees would support accurate reporting and improve ease of compliance.
The request is a representation made by ICSI to the MCA. The letter does not announce an extension, and the Ministry's decision on the proposed December 31, 2026 deadline remains awaited. Until an official announcement is issued, companies should continue to track the existing statutory filing deadlines and MCA notifications.
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