INCOME TAX RETURN FILING DATE EXTEND TO AUGUST 31, 2015 + NEW ITR FORMS NOTIFIED.

The Finance Ministry has notified revised Income Tax Return (ITR) forms. These forms will be used to file return for the assessment year 2015-16 (for income earned during fiscal year 2014-15). It has also been proposed to extend the last date for filing returns to August 31 as against normal practice of July 31.

Under the new forms, in lieu of foreign travel details, it is now proposed that only Passport Number, if available, would be required to be given in Forms ITR-2 and ITR-2A. Details of foreign trips or expenditure thereon are not required to be furnished. Similarly, as regard to bank account details in all these forms, only the IFS code, account number of all the current/savings account, which are held at any time during the previous year will be required to be filled-up. The balance in accounts will not be required to be furnished. Details of dormant accounts which are not operational during the last three years are not required to be furnished.

The Finance Ministry mentioned that an individual, who is not an Indian citizen and is in India on a business, employment or student visa (expatriate), would not mandatorily be required to report the foreign assets acquired by him during the previous years in which he was non-resident if no income is derived from such assets during the relevant previous year.

In Form ITR 2 and the new Form ITR 2A, the main form will not contain more than 3 pages, and other information will be captured in the schedules which will be required to be filled only if applicable. This has been done to ensure simplification.

Individuals having exempt income without any ceiling (other than agricultural income exceeding Rs 5,000) can now file Form ITR 1 (Sahaj). At present individuals/HUFs (Hindu Undivided Families) having income from more than one house property and capital gains are required to file Form ITR-2. It is, however, noticed that majority of individuals/HUFs who file Form ITR-2 do not have capital gains. With a view to providing for a simplified form for these individuals/HUFs, a new Form ITR 2A is proposed which can be filed by an individual or HUF who does not have capital gains, income from business/profession or foreign asset/foreign income.

It may be noted that on April 15, the Finance Ministry notified ITR Forms 1, 2 and 4S for Assessment Year 2015-16. However, these forms soon got entangled into controversy due to more and more informations were asked to be submitted. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley ordered revision of forms and accordingly new and simplified forms notified.