The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has extended the deadline for companies to file their annual financial statements and returns for the financial year 2024-25 until January 31, 2026. This extension comes as a response to widespread technical difficulties encountered by users on the MCA portal.

The original deadline for these filings was December 31, 2025. However, numerous stakeholders reported issues such as frequent timeouts, glitches, and system errors that impeded their ability to upload documents and complete submissions on time. These challenges prompted the MCA to grant a one-month extension, providing much-needed relief to companies and professionals grappling with the portal's technical shortcomings.

In an official statement released on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, the MCA announced that companies would be allowed to complete their annual filings up to January 31, 2026, without incurring any additional fees. The ministry clarified that any filing made within the revised deadline would not attract late fees. This extension specifically applies to key e-forms, including MGT-7, MGT-7A, AOC-4, AOC-4 CFS, AOC-4 NBFC (Ind AS), AOC-4 CFS NBFC (Ind AS), and AOC-4 (XBRL).

The MCA also stated that all other conditions outlined in its earlier General Circular No. 06/2025 would remain unchanged, with only the filing deadline being relaxed. This extension is a continuation of the relief provided in the earlier circular, which was issued in response to initial representations from stakeholders regarding the challenges in meeting the original timeline.

While the filing deadline has been extended, it's important to note that the circular does not provide any extension for holding Annual General Meetings (AGMs). Companies are still required to adhere to the AGM timelines as prescribed under the Companies Act, 2013.

This move by the MCA is expected to provide significant relief to companies, professionals, and compliance teams, especially in light of the MCA-21 portal upgrades, revised e-Forms, and the increased year-end compliance workload. The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) had formally raised these concerns with the MCA, emphasizing the considerable inconvenience caused to businesses. The MCA's decision to extend the filing deadline demonstrates its responsiveness to stakeholder concerns and its commitment to facilitating ease of doing business in India.