Home › ITR Filing Guide 2025-26
📅 ITR Season Open · AY 2026-27 · Updated April 2026
ITR Filing Guide FY 2025-26
Complete Step-by-Step
Everything salaried Indians need to file their income tax return. Which form, what documents, how to file online, refund status — all in plain Hindi-English.
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Last Date: July 31, 2026
For salaried individuals (ITR-1, ITR-2). Late filing fee ₹5,000 applies after this date.
📌 Important for FY 2025-26: The New Income Tax Act 2025 is effective from April 1, 2026, but for FY 2025-26 ITR (due July 31, 2026), the old Income Tax Act 1961 still applies. Same process as last year. Zero tax up to ₹12 lakh under new regime.
Choosing the wrong ITR form is a common mistake. The correct form depends on your income sources.
✅ Quick check: Only salary + bank interest + one house + no capital gains? → Use ITR-1. Have mutual fund or stock gains? → Use ITR-2. When in doubt, ITR-2 is always safe — it covers everything ITR-1 does.
2. Documents Needed Before You Start
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Form 16 — TDS certificate from your employer. Get from your HR/payroll team. Essential for salaried employees. Two parts: Part A (tax deducted) + Part B (salary breakup).
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Form 26AS — Your tax credit statement. Shows all TDS deducted. Download from incometax.gov.in → Login → e-File → View Form 26AS. Cross-check with Form 16.
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AIS / TIS — Annual Information Statement and Taxpayer Information Summary. New! Shows all income sources including dividends, FD interest, mutual fund transactions. Download from IT portal.
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Bank statements — All bank accounts. Especially for interest income from savings accounts and FDs. Banks auto-populate this in AIS now.
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Investment proofs — 80C: PPF passbook, ELSS statements, LIC premium receipts, EPF. 80D: Health insurance premium receipts. 80CCD(1B): NPS contribution proof.
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Home loan interest certificate — If claiming deduction under Section 24b. Get from your bank or NBFC. Shows principal + interest paid during FY 2025-26.
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Capital gains statement — If you sold mutual funds or stocks. Download from your broker (Zerodha, Groww, Upstox) or mutual fund portal. Needed for ITR-2.
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PAN + Aadhaar — Must be linked (deadline was March 31, 2024 — check if linked). Bank account number + IFSC for refund credit.
3. Step-by-Step: How to File ITR Online (ITR-1)
1
Login to Income Tax Portal
Go to incometax.gov.in → Login with PAN + password. If first time, register with PAN, date of birth, and mobile number linked to Aadhaar.
2
Download & Verify AIS
e-File → Income Tax Returns → View AIS. Check all income entries. If any is wrong, raise feedback on the portal. AIS now auto-fills many ITR sections.
3
Start New Filing
e-File → Income Tax Returns → File Income Tax Return → Assessment Year: 2026-27 → Mode: Online → Select ITR-1 (or ITR-2). The portal auto-fills data from Form 26AS and AIS.
4
Verify Pre-filled Data
The portal shows your salary (from Form 16), TDS deducted, bank interest, and other income. Verify each section against your Form 16. Edit any discrepancies.
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Choose Tax Regime
Select New Regime (default) or Old Regime. The portal may compare both — choose whichever has lower tax. Use our
income tax calculator to compare before filing.
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Enter Deductions (Old Regime only)
If using Old Regime: enter 80C (max ₹1.5L), 80D (health insurance), HRA exemption details, home loan interest. New regime has only standard deduction of ₹75,000.
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Preview & Submit
Review tax payable/refund shown. If additional tax is due, pay via Challan 280 on the portal. Click Submit. You'll get an acknowledgment number (ITR-V).
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e-Verify Your ITR
MUST DO within 30 days of filing. Options: Aadhaar OTP (fastest), Net Banking, Bank ATM, Demat account. Without e-verification, ITR is treated as not filed. Go to e-File → e-Verify Return.
💡 Pro tip: Most salaried employees with just Form 16 income can file ITR-1 in under 15 minutes using the portal's pre-filled data. Just verify the numbers and click submit.
4. Late Filing Penalty — Don't Miss July 31
| Filing Date | Income Below ₹5L | Income Above ₹5L | Other Consequences |
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| By July 31, 2026 | ₹0 penalty | ₹0 penalty | No consequences |
| Aug 1 – Dec 31, 2026 | ₹1,000 | ₹5,000 | Interest on tax due @ 1%/month |
| Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2027 | ₹1,000 | ₹5,000 | No carry forward of losses |
| After Mar 31, 2027 | Belated return not allowed | Defective return penalties |
⚠️ Important: Cannot carry forward capital losses (from stocks/MF) if ITR is filed late. If you have mutual fund or stock losses to carry forward, filing by July 31 is essential.
5. How to Check Refund Status
After filing and e-verifying your ITR, refunds are typically credited within 20-45 days. If TDS deducted was more than your actual tax liability, you get a refund directly to your bank account.
- Login to incometax.gov.in
- Go to: e-File → Income Tax Returns → View Filed Returns
- Your refund status shows under the relevant AY
- Also check: tin.tin.nsdl.com/refund/index.html (enter PAN + AY)
- Refund is credited to the bank account you mentioned in ITR
📌 Refund delayed? Common reasons: bank account not validated, mismatch in name/account number, ITR under scrutiny. Go to IT portal → My Account → Refund Re-issue to request a new credit.
6. Key Tips for FY 2025-26 ITR
- Check AIS carefully: The AIS now shows dividend income, FD interest, and mutual fund redemptions automatically. Verify each entry matches your records before filing.
- New regime vs old: For most under ₹12L, new regime = zero tax. Above ₹12L, compare using our calculator. Old regime may be better if you have HRA + home loan + 80C of ₹3L+.
- Report all FD interest: Banks report FD interest to the IT department via AIS. Even if TDS was deducted, you must report the gross interest — the portal will adjust for TDS already paid.
- Mutual fund LTCG: Long-term capital gains on equity mutual funds above ₹1.25 lakh are taxable at 12.5%. Report in ITR-2, Schedule CG.
- Don't miss e-verification: Many people submit but forget to e-verify. Without e-verify within 30 days, your ITR is invalid.
- Aadhaar-PAN linking: Must be done. If not linked, your PAN becomes inoperative and TDS is deducted at higher rates (20%).
Use These Calculators Before Filing
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ITR filing compulsory even if no tax is due?
Yes, if your income exceeds the basic exemption limit (₹4 lakh under new regime, ₹2.5 lakh under old regime), you must file — even if tax is zero due to 87A rebate. Also compulsory if: foreign assets, high-value transactions (like deposits above ₹1 crore), TDS refund required, or carrying forward losses.
Can I switch from new to old regime while filing?
Yes, salaried employees can switch between new and old regime every year at the time of ITR filing. Even if your employer deducted TDS under one regime, you can choose the other while filing ITR — the difference will be refunded or you'll pay the difference.
What if I have income from two employers?
If you changed jobs during the year, you'll have Form 16 from two employers. Report total salary from both in ITR. You may owe additional tax because each employer may have given you the full standard deduction of ₹75,000 separately — but you can only claim it once.
What happens if I miss July 31 deadline?
You can file a belated return with a penalty of ₹5,000 (₹1,000 if income below ₹5L) until December 31, 2026. After that, you can file an updated return (ITR-U) until March 31, 2029 with additional tax of 25-50%. Belated returns cannot carry forward capital losses.
How do I know if my ITR was processed?
After filing and e-verifying, you'll receive an intimation email (to registered email). Go to IT portal → e-File → Income Tax Returns → View Filed Returns to see processing status. "Successfully e-Verified" means submitted. "Processed" means IT department has accepted it. If refund is due, it'll be credited within 20-45 days of processing.