A fresh appeal for extending the tax audit deadline for Assessment Year (AY) 2026-27 has emerged from Maharashtra, with Supriya Sule urging Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to consider the difficulties faced by taxpayers and tax professionals ahead of the September 30 deadline.
In a post on X, Sule said she had received a representation from Shri Nagesh Salunkhe, State Head of the Nationalist Tax Practitioners Cell of the Sharadchandra Pawar Party in Maharashtra. The representation highlights the challenges faced by chartered accountants, tax consultants and taxpayers in completing tax audits within the existing timeline.
Tax Professionals Seek Extension of September 30 Deadline
According to the representation, the time available for completing tax audits after the July 31 and August 31 income tax return deadlines has proved insufficient, particularly given the detailed verification, scrutiny and reconciliation involved in audit assignments.
For AY 2026-27, the due date for furnishing tax audit reports for the financial year 2025-26 is September 30, 2026.
The representation points out that tax professionals are simultaneously handling GST compliances, TDS-related work and other statutory obligations, leaving limited time to complete audit procedures and related income tax return filings.
राष्ट्रवादी टॅक्स प्रॅक्टिशनर सेल शरदचंद्र पवार पक्षाचे महाराष्ट्र राज्यप्रमुख श्री. नागेश साळुंखे यांनी करदाते व Tax Professionals यांना भेडसावणाऱ्या अडचणींबाबत भेट घेऊन निवेदन दिले. आयकर विवरणपत्रांसाठी 31 जुलै आणि 31ऑगस्ट या अंतिम मुदतीनंतर कर लेखापरीक्षणासाठी 30 सप्टेंबरची…
— Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) September 27, 2026
GST, TDS Work and Portal Issues Add to Compliance Pressure
The representation identifies several practical difficulties affecting the timely completion of tax audits.
These include the overlapping workload of GST and TDS compliances, technical difficulties on the income tax portal and the impact of recent festivals on available working days.
The proposed nationwide bank strike from September 28 to September 30, 2026, has also been cited as an additional concern, particularly as it coincides with the final days of the tax audit compliance period.
According to the representation, these circumstances are making it challenging for chartered accountants, tax consultants and taxpayers to complete the required work within the existing deadline.
Demand to Extend Tax Audit and ITR Filing Due Dates
The representation submitted by Nagesh Salunkhe requests the Union Finance Minister to consider extending the deadline for furnishing tax audit reports, along with the corresponding due date for filing income tax returns in audit cases.
The request emphasizes that additional time would help tax professionals complete verification, reconciliation and audit procedures more thoroughly, while also providing relief to taxpayers facing overlapping compliance requirements.
Sule, in her X post, urged Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to sympathetically consider the issues raised and provide an extension of the applicable deadlines.
Tax Audit Due Date 2026: Current Status
As per the dates mentioned in the representation, September 30, 2026, remains the scheduled deadline for furnishing tax audit reports for AY 2026-27.
The appeal by the Maharashtra Tax Practitioners Cell adds to the ongoing representations seeking additional time for tax audit compliance and related income tax return filing.
The representation is a request for an extension and should not be treated as an official announcement of any change in the due dates. Any extension would require formal notification by the competent tax authority.
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