This is the age of fake news. Just about a week before the deadline for filing personal Income Tax Return expires on July 31, a rumour had started swirling on social media that the Income Tax Department (ITD) has extended the deadline.
In reality, nothing like that has happened yet.
Rumours in circulation: Income Tax Department
If the government takes any such decision, it is officially announced by the Income Tax Department. Nothing like that has happened so far.
In fact, quite to the contrary, the Income Tax Department has warned that such rumours are furiously circulating on social media and none should lend any credence to them.
Rumour began in a Gujarat newspaper
The fake news started after such a news item was published in a newspaper of Gujarat recently. The clipping of the news item was promptly shared by people on social media and since then it has been going around gathering pace.
The news item falsely claimed that the deadline of filing ITR has been extended to August 31, 2024. The Income Tax Department said no such decision has been announced.
Income Tax Department X post
“It has come to our knowledge that a clipping of Sandesh news is circulating on social media regarding extension of date of e-filing of ITR. This is FAKE news. Taxpayers are advised to follow updates from the official website/portal of IncomeTaxIndia,” the Income Tax Department wrote on its official social media handle.
Beware of a tax refund scam
In another post, the ITD has also warned taxpayers that fake tax refund messages are going around and it is a scam. “Kind attention taxpayers! Beware of fake tax refund messages!” this post from the Income Tax Department said.
Fraudsters are targeting gullible people and sending them text and WhatsApp messages. These are intended to pose as Income Tax officials and gain access to personal financial data to defraud them of their money.
The fake news about extension of ITR filing deadline circulating has gained credence all the more since for several days the e-filing portal was hit by glitches that various income tax professionals and even Income Tax Bar Associations had repeatedly brought to the notice of the government.
The glitches sometimes prevented access to the portal itself while at other times the OTPs required for filing were not being generated.
ITR filing deadline 2023-24: The Income Tax Department has said nothing about any extension of the deadline. Beware of fake news. Personal Finance Business News – Personal Finance News, Share Market News, BSE/NSE News, Stock Exchange News Today
