As the 31st July 2026 ITR filing deadline approaches, one of the biggest concerns for taxpayers has always been the performance of the Income Tax e-Filing portal. In previous years, many users experienced slow logins, submission failures and technical glitches during peak filing days.
To address these concerns, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has announced several technology and infrastructure upgrades aimed at ensuring a smoother filing experience this year. The announcement was made in Parliament in response to questions regarding portal performance. (The Economic Times)
What Has CBDT Done to Improve the e-Filing Portal?
According to the Government, the Income Tax Department has implemented several measures before the filing rush:
- Enhanced portal infrastructure to handle up to 1 crore ITRs per day
- Increased computing power, storage, memory, network capacity and bandwidth
- Fixed major infrastructure issues identified during earlier filing seasons
- Established 24×7 monitoring along with a dedicated War Room for real-time issue management
- Strengthened cybersecurity with upgraded firewalls and enhanced protection against cyberattacks and bot traffic
- Improved coordination with external stakeholders including UIDAI, RBI, banks, CDSL, NSDL, ICAI and e-Return Intermediaries (ERIs) to ensure uninterrupted services during peak filing season.
Higher Traffic Expected This Year
The Government informed Parliament that between 8th July and 14th July 2026, daily ITR filings more than doubled compared to the previous year on several days.
On 14th July alone:
- Around 12.22 lakh Income Tax Returns were filed.
- Daily logins reached nearly 99 lakh users.
Despite this surge, the Government stated that the portal has largely remained stable, with only occasional delays during periods of exceptionally high traffic.
Action Taken Against the Managed Service Provider
The Government also revealed that the managed service provider responsible for the e-Filing portal has faced contractual penalties for:
- Delay in implementation of the upgraded portal
- Lower service performance
- Application outages during peak filing periods
- Situations where filing deadlines had to be extended due to service-related issues
These penalties have been imposed as per contractual provisions to ensure greater accountability.
What Should Taxpayers Do?
Even though the portal infrastructure has been significantly upgraded, taxpayers should avoid waiting until the last few days.
A few practical suggestions:
- File your ITR well before 31st July 2026
- Verify AIS, Form 26AS and TDS details before submission
- Keep bank account and Aadhaar details updated
- Save acknowledgement immediately after filing
- Complete e-verification without delay
Early filing not only reduces the risk of portal congestion but also helps in quicker processing and refund issuance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the Income Tax portal crash near the due date?
CBDT states that the portal has been upgraded to support significantly higher traffic and handle up to 1 crore ITR filings per day, though occasional slowdowns during peak usage cannot be completely ruled out.
Why has CBDT increased portal capacity?
The number of taxpayers filing returns online has increased substantially, requiring stronger infrastructure and continuous monitoring.
Has the Government taken action for previous portal failures?
Yes. The Government confirmed that contractual penalties have been imposed on the managed service provider for delays, outages and performance deficiencies.
Should taxpayers wait until the last day?
No. Filing early reduces the chances of facing heavy traffic, technical delays and last-minute compliance issues.
What is the due date for filing ITR for AY 2026-27?
For most individual taxpayers not requiring audit, the due date is 31st July 2026, unless extended by the Government.
Final Thoughts
The Government’s latest announcement indicates a strong focus on improving the taxpayer experience during the 2026 filing season. While the enhanced infrastructure is expected to reduce technical issues, taxpayers should still complete their return filing well before the deadline rather than relying on the last few days.
Timely filing remains the best way to avoid unnecessary stress, portal congestion and delays in receiving refunds.