Tax Audit 2026: Check these errors in your tax report before September 30, or else a notice may come.

Tax Audit 2026: The last date for submission of tax audit report for assessment year 2026-27 is 30 September. Those who need to get their accounts audited are fully aware of this deadline. Many taxpayers have submitted their returns on the portal ahead of time. But is filing a report enough? The answer is, no. Many times such errors are missed in hastily filed returns, which can later lead to notices from the Income Tax Department.

Isha Sekhari, founder of Isha Sekhari & Associates LLP, says taxpayers should double-check their filed returns. It may contain some basic errors which can be rectified before 30 September. Some reporting rules have changed this year, so it’s important to keep an eye out for new ones along with old mistakes.

Major Common Errors in Reports

The biggest mistake in tax audit report is related to UDIN. Many times the auditor uploads the report, but the taxpayer forgets to accept it on the portal. Unless you accept it, the report is not properly submitted. Also, not stating the correct nature of business while filling the HSN or SAC code is also a common mistake.

Care should also be taken in the matter of loans and deposits. A limit has been fixed for loans taken in cash, which needs to be properly reflected in the report. Matching turnovers is the most important part. Turnover of your books should exactly match with Form 26AS, AIS, TIS and GST returns. If there is any difference, the system catches it immediately.

This year, the rules regarding MSME payments have become much stricter. Substantial changes have been made in section 22 under section 43B(h). If you have not paid your small or micro business on time, reporting this information is mandatory. Along with this information related to buyback is also to be given under Section 36B, which people often forget.

Can the report be revised before the deadline?

If you find an error in your submitted report, there is an option to correct it. Technically there is no separate category of ‘revision before due date’ in the law. But if there is any mistake you can revise your report before 30 September.

However, this should not be considered a normal procedure. You can only correct clerical or calculation errors. Like any name, address, UDIN number or any data is wrongly typed. If you have forgotten to provide any bank account or expense information, it can also be added. But you can’t change your entire accounting method. For example, you cannot suddenly convert business income into capital gains. Your change must be completely genuine.

There is scope for changes in the report after September 30

No need to worry if you miss the 30th September deadline. A tax audit report can be amended even after the deadline. For the financial year 2025-26, this work can be done till 31 March 2027.

This situation arises when the taxpayer makes some payments after 30 September. Suppose you have deposited TDS or PF dues after filing the original report. The last date for filing Income Tax Return (ITR) is 31st October. In such a situation, if you have deposited any important tax before October 31, you may have to amend the audit report to get its exemption. Apart from this, if the government changes any law retrospectively or there is a new court decision, the report needs to be submitted again.

Effect of change in report on ITR filing

There is no significant difference in the process of revising the tax audit report, whether you do it before or after September 30. This work should be done only by a certified accountant, who will sign and verify the new report.

The most important thing is that the ITR that you file by 31st October should completely match your latest tax audit report. If you have filed your ITR, and subsequently made any changes in the audit report, you will also have to amend your return. If you do not do so, the Income Tax Department may send a notice treating your return as ‘defective’. Therefore, it is important that all your tax documents match.