NEW DELHI, December 31, 2025 — The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has extended the deadline for filing annual financial statements and returns by one month, following widespread user reports of technical glitches on its official portal. Companies can now file mandatory disclosures for the financial year 2024-25 until January 31, 2026, without incurring additional fees.
Why was the deadline extended?
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs extended the original December 31 deadline after receiving multiple representations from stakeholders. Users reported persistent technical glitches, frequent timeouts, and system-related issues on the MCA portal while attempting to submit their annual filings. The “Extend Due Date Immediately” trend on social networking platform X began the day before the announcement when hundreds of filers reported disruptions and requested an extension to avoid penalties due to portal issues.
What forms are covered by the extension?
Key annual e-Forms, such as MGT-7 (Annual Return), MGT-7A (One Person Company), AOC-4 (Financial Statement), and their variations, such as AOC-4 CFS and AOC-4 NBFC (Ind AS), are expressly covered by the waiver. The MCA clarified that any filing made within the revised January 31, 2026, deadline will not require payment of additional fees. All other requirements outlined in the earlier General Circular No. 06/2025 remain unchanged; only the filing timeline has been extended.
What is MCA filing and who needs to comply?
MCA filing is the mandatory process through which Indian companies and LLPs submit legal documents and financial statements to the Registrar of Companies. These filings, done via the MCA portal, ensure compliance and transparency by detailing financial results, governance structure, and statutory status. For the 2024–2025 fiscal year, the filings include financial statements and annual returns required by the Companies Act.
How did users report the issues?
In the days before the original deadline, many filers turned to social media to report major technical issues on the MCA portal. Several users demanded an immediate extension, saying system problems stopped them from completing filings. The ministry stepped in after the public backlash raised concerns that companies could be penalised for non-compliance due to factors beyond their control.
FAQ
Q: What is the new deadline for MCA annual filings?
A: The deadline for submitting annual returns and financial statements for FY 2024–2025 has been extended to January 31, 2026.
Q: Will companies have to pay extra fees for filing by Jan 31?
A: No, according to the MCA, filings submitted by the updated deadline won’t cost extra.
Q: Which forms are included in this extension?
A: The extension covers e-Forms MGT-7, MGT-7A, AOC-4, AOC-4 CFS, AOC-4 NBFC (Ind AS), AOC-4 CFS NBFC (Ind AS), and AOC-4 (XBRL).
Q: Why did the MCA extend the deadline?
A: Due to several technical difficulties and system problems that users of the MCA portal experienced, which prevented filings before the initial December 31 deadline, the extension was approved.
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