Reviewed for current filing season: 10 June 2026

Income Tax Return Guidelines for FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27)

The filing season for FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27) is open. These guidelines cover who must file, the documents to collect, how to pick the correct ITR form, the e-filing steps on the income tax portal and the verification rules that decide whether your return is treated as valid.

Quick answer: Collect Form 16, Form 26AS and AIS early, file ITR-1/ITR-2 by 31 July 2026 (non-audit business returns by 31 August 2026 per the Income Tax Department FAQ), and verify within 30 days of filing. The new tax regime is the default for AY 2026-27.

Who must file a return under section 139(1)?

Every company, whether domestic, foreign, public or private.
Every firm, including LLPs, irrespective of profit or loss.
Individuals and HUFs whose total income exceeds the basic exemption limit for their regime and age.
Residents holding foreign assets or signing authority in foreign accounts.
Persons meeting prescribed conditions, such as deposits above Rs. 1 crore in current accounts, foreign travel spending above Rs. 2 lakh, electricity bills above Rs. 1 lakh, high turnover or gross receipts, or TDS/TCS above prescribed limits.

A voluntary return filed when none of these apply is still a valid return. Note that many taxpayers with income up to Rs. 12 lakh owe no tax under the new regime due to the section 87A rebate, but the rebate is claimed through the return, so filing remains important.

Documents checklist

Form 16 from each employer, showing salary and TDS.
Form 16A for TDS on non-salary income such as bank interest or professional fees.
Form 26AS, AIS and TIS from the e-filing portal, reconciled with your own records.
Bank account summary for all accounts operated during the year.
Property details: rent received, municipal taxes and home-loan interest certificates.
Investment and sale documents: broker capital gains statements, purchase/sale deeds and contract notes.
Tax payment challans for advance tax and self-assessment tax.

Which ITR form should you file?

Form	Who generally uses it (AY 2026-27)
ITR-1 Sahaj	Resident individuals with total income up to Rs. 50 lakh: salary or pension, up to two house properties, other sources, agricultural income up to Rs. 5,000 and 112A long-term gains up to Rs. 1.25 lakh.
ITR-2	Individuals and HUFs without business income: larger capital gains, foreign assets or income, NRI/RNOR status, company directors or unlisted shareholdings.
ITR-3	Individuals and HUFs with business or professional income reported with regular books, including partners receiving remuneration from firms.
ITR-4 Sugam	Eligible resident individuals, HUFs and firms (other than LLPs) using presumptive taxation under sections 44AD, 44ADA or 44AE, with total income up to Rs. 50 lakh.

Legacy forms ITR-2A and ITR-4S no longer exist; ITR-4S was discontinued and replaced by ITR-4 Sugam. For a fuller comparison, see which ITR form applies to individuals.

How to e-file your return

Log in to the e-filing portal with PAN as user ID; ensure PAN is linked with Aadhaar.
Choose e-File, then Income Tax Return, and select Assessment Year 2026-27.
Pick the applicable ITR form; most data comes pre-filled from AIS and TDS statements.
Confirm or edit personal information, income, deductions and tax paid sections.
Compare regimes using our income tax calculator and opt out of the new regime in the form if the old regime suits you better.
Pay any balance tax through e-Pay Tax, validate the return and submit it.
E-verify immediately, or send the signed ITR-V to CPC Bengaluru within 30 days.

Ways to verify and sign your return

There are three broad ways a return gets authenticated. First, a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC), which is mandatory for certain audit and corporate cases and optional for others. Second, e-verification through Aadhaar OTP, net banking, or an Electronic Verification Code generated from a pre-validated bank or demat account; this is the quickest route for individuals and completes the filing in minutes. Third, the physical route: if you cannot e-verify, print the ITR-V acknowledgement, sign it in blue ink and post it by ordinary or speed post to Centralized Processing Centre, Income Tax Department, Bengaluru - 560500, Karnataka, so that it reaches CPC within 30 days of filing. Returns can also be filed through an authorised e-Return Intermediary (ERI) such as All India ITR, which prepares and submits the return on your behalf while you retain full control over verification.

Due dates at a glance for AY 2026-27

31 July 2026: ITR-1 and ITR-2 for salaried and other non-audit taxpayers.
31 August 2026: non-audit business or professional returns (ITR-3/ITR-4), as indicated in the Income Tax Department FAQ.
31 October 2026: audit cases under section 44AB; the audit report is due by 30 September 2026.
31 December 2026: last date for belated or revised returns for AY 2026-27.

The full month-by-month list, including advance tax and TDS dates, is in our Indian tax calendar for FY 2025-26.

Examples

Salaried, one employer

Files ITR-1 with pre-filled salary data, confirms savings interest from AIS, claims the 87A rebate in the new regime and e-verifies with Aadhaar OTP.

Job switch during the year

Two Form 16s must be combined; the second employer may not have considered earlier salary, so balance tax is often payable before filing.

Small business owner

With turnover within the section 44AD limits, declares presumptive income in ITR-4 by the non-audit due date, after checking Form 10-IEA rules for the old regime.

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming TDS on salary means no return is needed; filing can still be mandatory.
Ignoring savings account and deposit interest, which is taxable and visible in AIS.
Treating Form 16 as the return itself; it is only a TDS certificate.
Filing on the last day and facing portal load or payment failures.
Forgetting verification, which makes the return invalid after 30 days.
Quoting the wrong assessment year in tax challans.

File your FY 2025-26 return with expert help

Related current ITR guides

File ITR Online AY 2026-27 filing steps and examples Old vs New Regime Compare slabs, deductions and examples Tax & Refund Calculator Estimate tax, refund or extra payable AIS/Form 26AS Mismatch Fix TDS, income and refund mismatches Belated, Revised & ITR-U Know which correction route applies Which ITR Form? ITR-1, ITR-2, ITR-3 or ITR-4 Rs 12 Lakh Tax-Free Section 87A rebate rules and examples Income Tax Act 2025 What changes from 1 April 2026

More AY 2026-27 tax guides

Save tax: Home loan benefits · NPS (80CCD) · Donations (80G) · Education loan (80E) · Interest income (80TTA/80TTB) · Form 15G/15H · Capital gains exemptions (54/54F/54EC)

Investors and traders: F&O and intraday tax · ESOP and RSU tax · Share buyback tax · Foreign income and Schedule FA · Gift tax (56(2)(x)) · HUF taxation

Calculators and tools: Income tax calculator · Advance tax calculator · 80C tax-saving calculator · NPS calculator · Gratuity calculator · EPF calculator · Crypto tax calculator · HRA calculator

Filing and compliance: Section 87A rebate · Marginal relief · Form 10-IEA · PAN-Aadhaar link · AIS and TIS · ITR-U updated return · Discard ITR and condonation · TDS on rent and property · Income Tax Act 2025

Frequently asked questions

Q. Who must file an income tax return for FY 2025-26?

All companies and firms must file. Individuals must file when total income exceeds the basic exemption limit, or when specified conditions apply, such as foreign assets, large deposits, high foreign-travel or electricity spending, or TDS/TCS above prescribed limits. Filing is also needed to claim refunds or carry forward losses.

Q. Which ITR forms are currently in use for individuals?

For AY 2026-27 individuals use ITR-1 Sahaj, ITR-2, ITR-3 or ITR-4 Sugam depending on income sources. Older forms such as ITR-2A and ITR-4S were discontinued; ITR-4S was replaced by ITR-4 Sugam.

Q. Can I file ITR without registering on the e-filing portal?

No. You need a registered account with PAN as user ID. Registration is quick and uses PAN, name, date of birth and contact details. Authorised intermediaries such as All India ITR can file on your behalf as an ERI.

Q. How is the return verified after filing?

Verify within 30 days using Aadhaar OTP, EVC through a pre-validated bank or demat account, net banking, DSC, or by posting the signed ITR-V to Centralized Processing Centre, Income Tax Department, Bengaluru - 560500. See our e-verification guide.

Q. Should taxes be paid before filing?

Yes. Any self-assessment tax should be paid and the challan details captured in the return before submission, otherwise the return may be defective or attract interest.

Q. How can I check my refund status?

Log in to the e-filing portal and check the ITR status for AY 2026-27. Refunds are credited only to pre-validated bank accounts after the return is processed.

Q. What if I miss the 31 July 2026 due date?

You can file a belated return up to 31 December 2026 with a late fee of Rs. 1,000 or Rs. 5,000 and interest. Later, an updated return may be possible. Read more on belated and revised returns.

Q. Can I file a return voluntarily even if not required?

Yes. A voluntary return is a valid return and is useful for refunds, visa applications, loan processing and maintaining income records.

Sources reviewed

These guidelines reflect FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27) rules as on 10 June 2026. For audit cases, foreign income, notices or large refunds, have an All India ITR expert review your return before submission.