The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has announced a second extension for filing financial statements and annual returns, pushing the deadline by another month to January 31, 2026. The extension comes with a crucial waiver—no additional filing fees will be levied during the extended period.
This is the second such relaxation granted by the MCA. The original statutory deadline had already been extended once in September 2025, shifting the due date to December 31, 2025. However, ongoing technical issues on the revamped MCA portal prompted the government to allow more time.
Persistent Technical Issues Trigger Fresh Extension
The decision follows widespread concerns raised by professionals regarding the functionality of Version 3 (V3) of the MCA portal. Chartered accountants, company secretaries, and corporate filers have repeatedly flagged issues such as frequent slowdowns, session timeouts, and failed submissions, making timely compliance difficult.
The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) formally communicated these challenges to the MCA, highlighting that even two weeks before the statutory deadline, the portal continued to malfunction. According to ICSI, the instability of the website caused considerable hardship to stakeholders attempting to complete mandatory filings, despite their readiness to comply.
What Changed with the MCA Portal V3?
The MCA launched Version 3 of its portal on January 14, introducing a significant overhaul of the filing architecture. The new system rolled out 38 redesigned e-Forms, shifting from the earlier upload-based mechanism under Version 2 to a fully online form-filling process.
Under the V3 framework, users can now fill forms directly on the portal rather than uploading completed forms. The transition was intended to improve ease of use by allowing filers to save partially completed forms and resume them later, a feature absent in the earlier version.
Additionally, V3 introduced a personalised “My Application” dashboard, enabling users to track all filings made to date. The dashboard displays real-time statuses such as pending digital signature uploads, payment stages, forms under processing, and cases requiring resubmission.
While these enhancements aim to modernise corporate compliance and improve transparency, the initial rollout has been marred by operational challenges.
Corporate Registrations Continue to Rise Despite Glitches
Interestingly, official MCA data suggest that corporate activity has remained robust despite the technical hurdles. According to the MCA’s Monthly Information Bulletin, the number of new company incorporations in November 2025 rose by 11% year-on-year, reaching 13,983 registrations.
The growth has been even more pronounced in the limited liability partnership (LLP) segment. New LLP registrations between September and November 2025 surged by 57% compared to the same period last year. As of November 2025, the total number of LLPs in India stood at 4,42,404, reflecting a 21.5% annual increase.
Further, registrations for Director Identification Numbers (DINs) also witnessed a sharp rise. In November 2025 alone, 39,406 new DINs were issued—an increase of 24% over the corresponding month in the previous year.
Circular Details
Circular No. 08/2025
Date: 30/12/2025
