Income Tax Site Not Working: Possible Reasons Why Income Tax Filing Portal is Not Working

Q: Q1. What is the revised due date for filing of ITR for FY 2024-2025 (AY 2025-2026)?

The deadline has been extended to September 15, 2025 by CBDT in its recent announcement.

Q: Q3. Can I file the ITR after the due date?

In compliance with Section 234F, you may be entitled to pay late filing fees or penalties if you file your ITR after the deadline.

Indrajeet Sharma
Jun 14
7 min read

As the extended deadline for filing Income Tax Returns (ITRs) for taxpayers exempt from tax audit provisions approaches on September 15, 2025 (earlier July 31, 2025), the pressure to submit returns is building. With more time granted, many taxpayers are rushing to complete their filings on the income tax e-filing website. However, the surge in traffic can often lead to income tax e-filing website downtime, resulting in delays and frustrating experiences when attempting to submit ITRs. These technical challenges, along with system inefficiencies, have been frequently highlighted on social media. Let us explore the causes of these issues and provide practical solutions to help ensure a smooth filing process, even during high-traffic periods.

Table of content

Income Tax Glitches Faced in 2024

Issues (Errors) Faced by Taxpayers

Reasons for Income Tax Site Not Working

How to Fix Income Tax Site Not Working Issues

Conclusion

Most Asked Questions

Income Tax Site Glitches Faced in 2024

In 2024, the income tax e-filing website encountered a series of technical glitches, causing significant frustration among users. Taxpayers faced challenges like slow navigation, difficulty locating various ITR forms on the internet, failure to generate OTPs, and issues with pre-filled data not reflecting correctly. These problems became especially apparent as the July 31 ITR deadline approached, with taxpayers scrambling to submit their returns on time. Many taxpayers were extremely annoyed by this since they missed many important dates that may have had a significant effect on their money and financial history. These problems can be resolved, though, if you are aware of the portal's problems and know how to work around them.

Issues (Errors) Faced by Taxpayers

Login problem: Many taxpayers are unable to begin the ITR filing process because they cannot log into the system. This issue often arises during peak filing periods, when high traffic leads to income tax e-filing website downtime. If you're facing this issue, contact the income tax department at orm@cpc.incometax.gov.in, providing your PAN and mobile number for assistance.

Aadhar OTP Generation: For login or e-verification purposes, some taxpayers struggle to generate an OTP using their Aadhar-linked number. The tax authority attributes this issue to sporadic problems and delays in response from UIDAI. If you're facing difficulties with OTP generation, email the department at orm@cpc.incometax.gov.in, describing the issue and providing your PAN and mobile number.

Inability to Use the Portal While Filing an ITR: After logging in, many professionals and taxpayers find it hard to navigate the portal, with the website becoming extremely slow or unresponsive. This problem is often caused by income tax e-filing website downtime, which leads to unnecessary delays in the filing process. Such delays can be particularly frustrating as the deadline approaches.

Non-Reflection of Pre-Filled Data: Some taxpayer data that should be pre-filled in the ITR form fails to appear, which is usually auto-populated based on information from the department’s database. This issue can add time to your filing process, especially if you are depending on the pre-filled details to quickly complete your return.

Problems with the download and 26AS/AIS errors: The 26AS and AIS forms are critical for filing an accurate return, but taxpayers have experienced difficulties downloading these forms due to income tax e-filing website downtime or server errors. Additionally, sometimes the data displayed in these downloaded statements can be inaccurate, which complicates the filing process.

Insufficient Reaction/Postponed Update in AIS/TIS: The responses to AIS/TIS (Annual Information Statement/Tax Information Statement) updates are often delayed or limited, making it difficult for taxpayers to address discrepancies in their filings. This lack of clarity can cause unnecessary delays and confusion when trying to finalize your return.

Error message: A frequent issue is receiving error messages like "Something went wrong" when using the portal. This is commonly seen when there is income tax e-filing website downtime or a server malfunction. If you encounter this error, you should reach out to customer support for assistance in resolving the issue.

E-verification problem: Some taxpayers face issues where OTPs are not generated for e-verification, or the portal incorrectly indicates that no e-verification is pending, even though it is required. This creates confusion and delays in the process of confirming the ITR submission.

Service Unavailable: Another common issue is being locked out of the portal with the message "Service unavailable at this time due to temporary maintenance." This is often caused by income tax e-filing website downtime, which can occur during high-traffic periods. While frustrating, this issue typically resolves once maintenance is completed.
Download of Chalans: After paying taxes, many taxpayers face difficulties when trying to download chalans (proof of tax payment) from the portal. These issues, especially when coupled with income tax e-filing website downtime, can delay the filing process and cause confusion.

Validation mistakes: Even after correctly entering data, taxpayers sometimes encounter validation errors. This often happens due to system glitches or income tax e-filing website downtime, even though the information entered is accurate. Such errors can disrupt the filing process and delay the submission of returns.

ITR Acknowledgments: In some cases, after filing the Income Tax Return, no acknowledgment is generated, leaving taxpayers unsure whether their return has been successfully submitted. This issue, often caused by technical glitches on the portal, can add uncertainty to the filing process.

Reasons for Income Tax Site Not Working

The income tax e-filing website is a critical platform that handles millions of visits daily. It allows taxpayers across India to file their returns, access previous tax records, and submit forms. However, income tax e-filing website downtime and malfunctioning can disrupt these tasks. The following reasons might explain why the site is experiencing issues:

Server overload: One of the most frequent causes of income tax e-filing website downtime is server overload. As the filing deadline approaches, the site sees a surge in users, and the system may not be able to handle the increased traffic.

Technical Issues: Unexpected hardware or software failures are among the technical issues that might cause the portal to malfunction extensively.

Internet: Your Internet connection may also be one of the causes. It could be irregular leading to occasional challenges when attempting to access the portal.

Various Browsers: The income tax portal makes it clear which desktop browsers provide the best connectivity.

Edge (88, 89, 90) by Microsoft
Chrome (88,89,90)
Mozilla and Firefox (88, 87, 86)
Opera (66, 67, 68)

Although other browsers can be used to access the website, these are the ones that are suggested for optimal results.

Cache and Cookies: The portal's accessibility is impacted by corrupted cache and cookies.

How to Fix Income Tax Site Not Working Issues

Portal faults or malfunctions can cause unnecessary delays, and annoyance might result from continually entering the same data or information. However, there are some recommendations for improving the portal's functionality, so don't stress.

Wait for Maintenance to End: After the organisation has finished any necessary maintenance, you should log in and submit your ITR.

Using the Correct Browser When logging onto the portal, you should use the best browser that the income tax department has suggested.

Clear Browser Cache and Cookies: Before navigating the portal, you should clear your browser's cache and cookies.

Use Private Mode: Using your browser's hidden mode is one method to get past the issues.

Less Peak Hours: When the server is not overloaded, early in the morning or late at night, you can attempt to work on the portal.

Email to Department: You can send an email with your problems to the department at the email address, orm@cpc.incometax.gov.in. The department responds to user-uploaded mistake screenshots on social media sites like Twitter to assist taxpayers.

Conclusion

Technical issues, including income tax e-filing website downtime, can make filing taxes a frustrating process, especially as the deadline approaches. However, by understanding common errors and following the recommended solutions, you can minimize delays and successfully submit your return on time. To avoid penalties, interest, or fees, aim to file your return as early as possible and take proactive steps to address any issues that arise.

FAQ

Q1. What is the revised due date for filing of ITR for FY 2024-2025 (AY 2025-2026)?

The deadline has been extended to September 15, 2025 by CBDT in its recent announcement.

Q2. What is the last date to file ITRs?

The deadline for filing an ITR is July 31 for taxpayers who are not audited, and October 31 for taxpayers who are audited.

Q3. Can I file the ITR after the due date?

In compliance with Section 234F, you may be entitled to pay late filing fees or penalties if you file your ITR after the deadline.

Q4. What can I do if the Income Tax portal is not working?

You can attempt other solutions like restricting your search engine, reloading the page, restarting your internet, etc. if you discover that the income tax site is not functioning. To fix the income tax website's malfunction, you might have to analyse the problem if nothing else works.

Q5. What can I do if my complaints on the portal receive an “N/A” response?

If your grievances are answered with "N/A," it is advisable to check your email inbox or messages first to ensure the Income Tax site hasn't sent you an SMS or email acknowledging the grievance. You can resolve this with the ITD if you fail to get a response.

Q6. What can I do if I can't download any of my forms for the ITR portal?

Usually, poor connectivity or low traffic to the website would be the primary challenge here. You could attempt to log in at odd times, such as midnight or early in the morning, when there is less traffic. Another option is to try a different internet connection.

Q7. Can I check my ITR filing status online?

Yes, you can keep track of the status of your ITR application via the Income Tax portal.

Q8. Does eFiling work on Chrome?

Please refrain from using Internet Explorer in the future while completing the new HTML MPR3 form on eFiling. Use Chrome v41, Firefox v55, Edge v13, Safari v10, Opera v55, or one of the accepted browsers and above.