Tax audit season: Form 3CD is due 30 September

The dates that matter

30 September 2026 — tax-audit report (Form 3CA or 3CB, with the Form 3CD annexure) for AY 2026-27, i.e. the financial year 2025-26.
31 October 2026 — income-tax return for taxpayers subject to audit; also the audit-report date for taxpayers covered by transfer-pricing reporting.

As of mid-September 2026, no extension has been notified. Professional bodies have made representations, but the CBDT has in recent years resisted blanket extensions unless there are serious portal outages — so the working assumption should be that 30 September holds.

Who needs a tax audit

Broadly: businesses with turnover above ₹1 crore (raised to ₹10 crore where cash receipts and cash payments each stay within 5% of the total), and professionals with gross receipts above ₹50 lakh. The thresholds interact with the presumptive-taxation schemes, so borderline cases deserve a specific check rather than an assumption either way.

What missing the date costs

Late filing of the audit report attracts a penalty under Section 271B — one-half per cent of turnover or gross receipts, capped at ₹1,50,000 — unless reasonable cause is shown. Beyond the penalty, an unfiled audit report holds up the income-tax return itself.

A short readiness checklist

Books closed and ledgers reconciled — bank, debtors, creditors.
GST returns tied to the books; 26AS / AIS / TIS tallied with income and TDS credits.
Loan and deposit transactions documented (Sections 269SS / 269T disclosures in Form 3CD).
Related-party transactions, and payments to specified persons, listed with supporting papers.
Fixed-asset register current, with additions and deletions evidenced.

If your audit is with us, your engagement team has already scheduled this. If you are not yet covered and think the thresholds may apply to you, reach out this week rather than at month-end.

Talk to us about your tax audit

Published 15 September 2026 · This note is general information, not professional advice for a specific case.