Missed the ITR Deadline as a Seller? Belated and Revised Return Guide (AY 2026-27)

If the original due date for your FY 2025-26 income tax return has passed and you have not filed, you are not locked out. A belated return can be filed until 31 December 2026, at the cost of a late fee and a few lost benefits. The sooner you file, the less it costs.

This applies to returns for FY 2025-26 (assessment year 2026-27), which are filed under the Income-tax Act, 1961.

The dates that matter

What	Last date (AY 2026-27)	Section
Belated return	31 December 2026, or before assessment completes	139(4)
Revised return	Before 31 March 2027, or before assessment completes	139(5)

Both dates come from the Income Tax Department's returns help page. Note that they are different: you get longer to revise than to file late.

If you need a tax audit, your due date is 31 October 2026, so you may not be late at all.

What a late return costs

• Late fee (Section 234F): ₹1,000 if your total income is up to ₹5 lakh, otherwise ₹5,000.
• Interest: tax you owed but did not pay by the due date attracts interest until you pay. Your ITR utility calculates the exact figure when you file.
• Business losses: carrying a loss forward requires filing the return of loss within the due date. A belated return generally forfeits this, which matters for a seller who had a bad first year.

The late fee is small next to the tax you might owe, so file as soon as you can rather than waiting for the last week.

Why sellers often miss the date

Marketplace sellers are more likely than salaried filers to hit this:

• TCS and TDS credits arrive late. Amazon and Flipkart deduct TDS under Section 194O and collect TCS, and the credit must show in your Form 26AS or AIS before you claim it. See how to claim TDS credit.
• Picking the wrong form. ITR-3 versus ITR-4 depends on whether you use presumptive taxation. The ITR form selector resolves this quickly.
• Waiting for books to close. Your accounts do not need to be perfect to file on time; a revised return exists for corrections.

Filing a belated return

1. Log in to the income tax e-filing portal and start the return for AY 2026-27.
2. Choose the belated return option (Section 139(4)) rather than the original.
3. Reconcile your income with AIS and Form 26AS, then claim TDS and TCS credit.
4. Pay any tax and the Section 234F fee before submitting.
5. e-Verify within the time the portal allows, or the return is treated as not filed.

Our FY 2025-26 ITR guide for sellers covers the income side in detail, and Section 44AD explains presumptive taxation.

Made a mistake? Revise, do not refile

If you already filed and spotted an error, such as a missing invoice or an unclaimed credit, file a revised return before 31 March 2027. Filing a new original return is not the way to correct it.

If the numbers are complicated, a CA partner can prepare and file the return with you directly. Dhanaay can refer you to one, at no cost to you.

Sources

• Income Tax Department: Income Tax Returns help page
• Income Tax Department: Updated Return of Income