The last date for e-filing of tax audit report by companies has been extended to October 31, from September 30, according to a notification issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes.

However, the last date for regular manual filing of tax audit report remains the same - September 30. A spokesperson for the Income-tax department said: "We have extended the time for e-filing of Tax Audit Report in response to complaints from taxpayers of the difficulty in uploading the data online. However, they have to file the report manually before September 30."

Senior chartered accountant TP Ostwal said: "This is an indirect way of asking the taxpayers to do the data feeding for the department. It would have been better if the date for manual filing of return and tax audit report are also extended" .

The office bearers of the Institute of Chartered Accounts of India have sought an appointment with the finance minister to convey the difficulties faced by the taxpayers and tax professionals by its insistence that they file the tax audit report physically on the due date on September 30, 2013.