NEW DELHI: In a relief for salaried tax payers, the government on Thursday extended the date for filing income tax returns by one month till August 31.

The earlier deadline for filing the returns was July 31.

"The due date for filing of income tax returns for Assessment Year (AY) 2018-19 is July 31, 2018 for certain categories of taxpayers. Upon consideration of the matter, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) extends the due date from July 31 to August 31 in respect of the said categories of taxpayers," an official statement said.

As per government records, around 6.84 crore income tax returns were filed during FY 2017-18, compared to 5.43 crore filed during FY 2016-17. The number is expected to rise further this year.