{"id":287,"date":"2026-07-18T20:38:35","date_gmt":"2026-07-18T15:08:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/how-to-file-your-income-tax-return-itr-for-ay-2026-27-step-by-step-guide\/"},"modified":"2026-07-18T20:38:35","modified_gmt":"2026-07-18T15:08:35","slug":"how-to-file-your-income-tax-return-itr-for-ay-2026-27-step-by-step-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/how-to-file-your-income-tax-return-itr-for-ay-2026-27-step-by-step-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"How to File Your Income Tax Return (ITR) for AY 2026-27: Step-by-Step Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Filing your <strong>income tax return (ITR)<\/strong> for <strong>Assessment Year 2026-27 (Financial Year 2025-26)<\/strong> is easier than ever, but a few decisions \u2014 your tax regime, the right form, and timely e-verification \u2014 make all the difference between a smooth refund and a defective return. This step-by-step guide walks you through the whole process.<\/p>\n<h2>Step 1 \u2014 Know your due date<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>31 July 2026<\/strong> \u2014 individuals and taxpayers whose accounts do not require audit (most salaried filers).<\/li>\n<li><strong>31 October 2026<\/strong> \u2014 taxpayers who require a tax audit.<\/li>\n<li><strong>30 November 2026<\/strong> \u2014 cases with transfer pricing reports.<\/li>\n<li><strong>31 December 2026<\/strong> \u2014 belated or revised returns (with a late fee).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The CBDT can extend these dates, so always confirm the current deadline on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.incometax.gov.in\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">incometax.gov.in<\/a> before filing.<\/p>\n<h2>Step 2 \u2014 Choose your tax regime<\/h2>\n<p>For FY 2025-26 the <strong>new tax regime is the default<\/strong>. Thanks to the enhanced Section 87A rebate, a resident individual with taxable income up to <strong>\u20b912 lakh pays no tax<\/strong> (about <strong>\u20b912.75 lakh<\/strong> for salaried taxpayers after the \u20b975,000 standard deduction). The new-regime slabs are:<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Income slab<\/th>\n<th>Rate<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Up to \u20b94,00,000<\/td>\n<td>Nil<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\u20b94,00,001 \u2013 \u20b98,00,000<\/td>\n<td>5%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\u20b98,00,001 \u2013 \u20b912,00,000<\/td>\n<td>10%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\u20b912,00,001 \u2013 \u20b916,00,000<\/td>\n<td>15%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\u20b916,00,001 \u2013 \u20b920,00,000<\/td>\n<td>20%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\u20b920,00,001 \u2013 \u20b924,00,000<\/td>\n<td>25%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Above \u20b924,00,000<\/td>\n<td>30%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The <strong>old regime<\/strong> can still win if you have large deductions (80C, 80D, HRA, home-loan interest). As a rough rule, if your deductions exceed roughly \u20b93.5\u20134 lakh, compare both before filing.<\/p>\n<h2>Step 3 \u2014 Pick the correct ITR form<\/h2>\n<p>Salaried individuals under \u20b950 lakh usually file <strong>ITR-1<\/strong>; those with capital gains or more than one house property use <strong>ITR-2<\/strong>; business\/professional income uses <strong>ITR-3<\/strong> or <strong>ITR-4<\/strong> (presumptive). Filing the wrong form can make your return defective \u2014 see our detailed guide, <a href=\"\/?p=11\">Which ITR Form Should You File for AY 2026-27?<\/a><\/p>\n<h2>Step 4 \u2014 Gather your documents<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>PAN and Aadhaar (must be linked)<\/li>\n<li><strong>Form 16<\/strong> from your employer<\/li>\n<li><strong>AIS and TIS<\/strong> (Annual Information Statement) from the portal<\/li>\n<li>Form 26AS for TDS credit<\/li>\n<li>Bank interest and capital gains statements<\/li>\n<li>Proofs for deductions if you use the old regime (80C, 80D, home-loan interest, etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Reconcile your income and TDS against the AIS before you file to avoid mismatch notices.<\/p>\n<h2>Step 5 \u2014 File on the income tax portal<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Log in at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.incometax.gov.in\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">incometax.gov.in<\/a> with your PAN and password.<\/li>\n<li>Go to <em>e-File \u2192 Income Tax Returns \u2192 File Income Tax Return<\/em> and select <strong>AY 2026-27<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Choose the filing status (individual\/HUF) and the correct ITR form.<\/li>\n<li>Review the <strong>pre-filled data<\/strong> (salary, interest, TDS) and correct anything that doesn&#8217;t match your records.<\/li>\n<li>Select your <strong>tax regime<\/strong>, claim eligible deductions, and let the portal compute the tax.<\/li>\n<li>Pay any balance tax, then <strong>preview and submit<\/strong> the return.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2>Step 6 \u2014 E-verify within 30 days<\/h2>\n<p>Your return is not complete until it is verified. E-verify within <strong>30 days<\/strong> using Aadhaar OTP, net banking, or a bank-account EVC. If you don&#8217;t verify in time, the return is treated as not filed.<\/p>\n<h2>What if you miss the deadline?<\/h2>\n<p>You can still file a <strong>belated return until 31 December 2026<\/strong>, but with a late fee under Section 234F of up to <strong>\u20b95,000<\/strong> (\u20b91,000 if total income is below \u20b95 lakh), plus interest on any unpaid tax. You also lose the ability to carry forward certain losses.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>Is it mandatory to file if my income is below the exemption limit?<\/h3>\n<p>Filing is generally required if your income exceeds the basic exemption, but it&#8217;s also advisable to file for refunds, loan\/visa proof, and to carry forward losses even when not strictly mandatory.<\/p>\n<h3>Can I switch between the old and new regime every year?<\/h3>\n<p>Salaried individuals without business income can choose the regime afresh each year while filing. Those with business income face restrictions on switching back.<\/p>\n<h3>How long does a refund take?<\/h3>\n<p>Refunds are usually credited within a few weeks of e-verification, provided your bank account is pre-validated on the portal.<\/p>\n<h2>Want your return filed accurately?<\/h2>\n<p>Regime selection, correct disclosures and AIS reconciliation decide how much tax you actually pay and how fast your refund arrives. <strong>TAXAJ<\/strong>&#8216;s Chartered Accountants file returns for salaried individuals, businesses and NRIs across India. <a href=\"\/community\/\">Ask a question in our Community<\/a> or get in touch with TAXAJ to file on time and stress-free.<\/p>\n<p><em>This guide is general information for AY 2026-27 and is not a substitute for professional advice. Tax rules and deadlines can change \u2014 verify the latest position on incometax.gov.in or consult a professional before filing.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A step-by-step 2026 guide to filing your income tax return \u2014 due dates, choosing the new vs old regime, the right ITR form, documents, the e-filing process and e-verification.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-income-tax"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=287"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.taxaj.com/learn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}