ITR filings in AY24 jump 16%, peak to record high of 6.77 crore: CBDT

July 31 was the deadline for filing ITRs for salaried taxpayers.

The number of income tax returns (ITRs) filed in assessment year 2023-24 is 16.1 percent higher as compared to the preceding year, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said on August 1, adding that the cumulative number of filings peaked to a record high of "over 6.77 crore" as of July 31.

In comparison, a total of 5.83 crore ITRs were filed as of July 31, 2022.

The filing of ITRs peaked on the last day, with "over 64.33 lakh ITRs being filed" as the deadline neared.

"The e-filing portal also observed its highest per hour rate of 4,96,559 of ITR filings between 5 PM to 6 PM on July 31, 2023, with highest per second rate of ITR filing of 486 (at 16:35:06 hours on that day) and highest per minute rate of ITR filing of 8,622 (at 17:54 hours)", the taxation body said in a release.

The number of first time ITR filers came in at 53.67 lakh, which reflects the widening of the tax base, it added.

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Out of the 6.77 crore ITRs filed for AY24, around 3.33 crore or 49.18 percent have been submitted through the ITR-1 forms, which are used by individual taxpayers, who are residents of the country, with a total income of up to Rs 50 lakh through salaries.

The returns filed through ITR-2 forms, used by resident individuals and Hindu Undivided Family (HUFs) with income of over 50 lakh, account for 11.97 percent (81.12 lakh). The returns filed through ITR-3, used by individuals or HUFs filing for income under the 'profits or gains of business or profession' category, accounted for 11.13 percent (75.40 lakh).

ITR-4, which is a simplified tax return form for individuals and HUF earning up to Rs 50 lakh, was used by 26.7 percent (1.81 crore) filers, and ITR-5, which are used by firms such Body of Individuals or Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), accounted for 0.94 percent (6.40 lakh) of the total filings, as per the CBDT release.

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Out of the total ITRs, around 46 percent were filed online using the e-filing portal, whereas, the balance have been filed using offline ITR utilities, it added.

Unlike the previous year, there were no major glitches reported on the e-filing portal. Between July and July 31, "there were more than 32 crore successful logins", and the number stood at 2.74 crore on the last date.