Income tax calendar 2021: All the important tax-related dates you need to know

The Income Tax Department came out with its annual calendar of important tax-related dates for the year 2021. The income tax calendar issued by the tax department contains all the important dates such as the last date to file income tax return (ITR), last date to make payments for advance tax, date for receiving Form 16 from employer etc.

Like last year, this year too, the tax department has sent emails to taxpayers containing the link to download its income tax calendar.

Here is a look at the important income tax-related dates.
January

• January 10: Last date to file ITR for FY 2019-20 for taxpayers who do not require audit of their accounts.
• January 15: Last date for furnishing various audit reports under the Income-tax Act, 1961.
• January 15: Last date of filing quarterly statement of TCS deposited for quarter ending December 31, 2020.
• January 30: Last date for issuing TCS certificate in respect of the tax collected for quarter ending December 31, 2020.
• January 31: Last date of filing quarterly statement of TDS deposited for the quarter ending December 31, 2020.
• January 31: Last date for making declaration under Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme

February

• February 15: Extended due date for filing ITR for FY 2019-20 for taxpayers whose accounts are to be audited.
• February 15: Deadline for quarterly TDS certificate to be filed with respect to tax deducted on income other than salaries for the quarter ending December 31, 2020.

March
Other than the deadlines mentioned by the tax department, March 31 is also the deadline to complete your tax-saving exercise for FY 2020-21.

• March 15: Is the last date of depositing the fourth instalment of advance tax (if liable to pay any) for FY 2020-21. It is also the due date for making payment of advance tax by those individuals who are covered under the presumptive taxation scheme under sections 44AD and 44ADA.
• March 31: Is the last date of filing belated or revised return for FY 2019-20. Remember, once this deadline is missed then you will not be able to file ITR for FY2019-20, nor you be able to file revised ITR for FY 2019-20. You will be liable to pay late filing fee of Rs 10,000 for filing belated ITR. Due to novel coronavirus pandemic, this deadline was extended to May 31, 2021.
• March 31: Is the last date of linking PAN with Aadhaar. Non-linking of PAN with Aadhaar will lead to PAN becoming inoperative. Currently, this deadline has been extended to September 30, 2021.
• March 31: Is the extended last date of filing quarterly statement of TDS/TCS deposited for Q1 and Q2 for FY 2020-21.
• March 31: Is the last date of making payment under Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme without any additional levy. Due to second wave of novel coronavirus pandemic, the government has extended the deadline of making payment to August 31, 2021.

April
It is the start of the new financial year, i.e., FY 2021-22. Though there are no tax-related deadlines in this month, do remember to submit Form 15G/ Form 15H, as applicable, to avoid TDS.

Important income tax dates in the year 2021:

May

• May 15: Is the last date of filing quarterly statement of TCS deposited for the quarter ending March 31, 2020.
• May 31: Is the last date of filing quarterly statement of TDS deposited for the quarter ending March 31, 2020. It is also the due date for furnishing statement of financial transactions under section 285BA by financial institutions for FY 2020-21. The government has extended the deadline to June 30, 2021.

June
Salaried and other taxpayers can start collecting TDS certificates, i.e., Form 16, Form 16A etc. from June 15. Form 16 contains details of the total tax deducted, total salary income, allowances etc. paid by your employer to you for FY 2020-21. Due to novel coronavirus pandemic, the government has extended the deadline to receive Form 16 to July 31, 2021.

Similarly, if your bank has deducted tax on your interest income, then it is required to issue Form 16A for FY 2020-21.

• June 15: The due date of depositing the first instalment of advance tax for FY 2021-22.
• June 30: The deadline of linking PAN-Aadhaar has been extended to September 30, 2021;
  June 30: The deadline for making payment under Vivad Se Vishwas (Without any additional amount) has been extended to August 31, 2021,
  June 30: Due date of furnishing TDS return and statement of financial transactions for FY 2020-21.

July

• July 15: Is the last date to file quarterly statement of TCS deposited for the quarter ending June 30, 2021.
• July 30: Is the last date to issue TCS certificate for the quarter ending June 30, 2021.
• July 31: Extended date of furnishing Form 16 to employee for FY 2020-21
• July 31: This is the last date to file income tax return for those taxpayers whose accounts are not required to be audited, usually salaried taxpayers, senior citizens etc. for FY 2020-21. The government has extended the date of filing ITR for FY 2020-21 to september 30, 2021 from the normal deadline of July 31. If the ITR is filed after this date, then an individual will have to pay a penalty of Rs 5,000 (The law was amended in Union Budget 2021). Do keep in mind that even with the penalty there is a time limit for filing of belated ITR which has been reduced by three months in Union Budget 2021. This is also the deadline for filing quarterly statement for TDS deposited for the quarter ending June 30, 2021.

August

• August 15: Is the last date for issuing quarterly TDS certificate for the tax deducted from payments other than salary (such as interest income etc.) for the quarter ending June 30, 2021.
• August 31: Last date of making payment under Vivad Se Vishwas (Without any additional amount)

September

• September 15: Is the last date to deposit the second instalment of advance tax for FY 2021-22.
• September 30: Is the last date for submitting audit report for FY 2020-21 for those taxpayers who have not undertaken international or specified domestic transactions. This deadline has been extended by one month to October 31, 2021.
• September 30: is the last date of filing ITR for FY 2020-21 for taxpayers whose accounts are not required to be audited. Usually, the deadline for such taxpayers is July 31.

October

• October 15: Is the last date for filing quarterly statement of TCS deposited for the quarter ending September 30, 2021.
• October 30: Is the last date of issuing quarterly TCS certificate for the quarter ending September 30, 2021.
• October 31: Is the last date of filing quarterly statement of TDS deposited for the quarter ending September 30, 2021.
• October 31: Last date of making payment under Vivad Se Vishwas (Withadditional amount)
• October 31: Is the last date of filing ITR for FY 2020-21 for assessees (not having an international or specified domestic transaction) whose accounts are required to be audited. This deadline has been extended by one month to November 30, 2021.
• October 31: Is the last date for submitting audit report for FY 2020-21 for assessees having international or specified domestic transaction. This deadline has been extended by one month to November 30, 2021.

November

• November 15: Is the deadline to issue quarterly TDS certificate for the tax deducted on payments other than salaries for quarter ending September 30, 2021.
• November 30: Is the deadline to file ITR for FY 2020-21 by those taxpayers whose accounts are audited and have international or specified domestic transactions. This deadline has been extended by one month to December 31, 2021.

December

• December 15: Is the last date to deposit the third instalment of your advance tax (if liable) for FY 2021-22.
• December 31: Last date of filing belated/revised ITR for FY 2020-21. This deadline has been extended by one month to January 31, 2022.