According to tax professionals, the portal became inaccessible during the day and remained largely non-functional for several hours, preventing users from logging in, uploading returns or completing verification and submission processes. Thousands of taxpayers across the country were reportedly affected, with many encountering repeated error messages while attempting to access the website.

Chartered accountants said the portal had been witnessing intermittent technical glitches over the past 10 days, though services were usually restored within a short time. Friday's outage, however, was far more severe, with the system remaining down for most of the day, severely disrupting work during one of the busiest phases of the tax filing season.

Tax practitioners warned that if the technical issues persist, many taxpayers may fail to meet the statutory deadline despite being ready to file their returns. The disruption has also affected professionals handling multiple client filings, adding to the compliance burden.

CAs and tax advocates have urged the Union Finance Ministry and the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to restore the portal at the earliest and ensure uninterrupted functioning during the peak filing period. They have also sought an extension of the July 31 deadline if the glitches continue, arguing that taxpayers should not face penalties for delays caused by technical failures beyond their control.

As of Friday evening, the portal had reportedly not been fully restored, with users continuing to experience difficulties in accessing the e-filing system.