ITR Filing 2026 — Online Step-by-Step, ITR-1 to ITR-4, New Regime Slabs
ITR Filing 2026: How to file ITR-1/2/3/4 online for AY 2026–27, new regime slab (₹12 lakh tax-free with 87A rebate), step-by-step e-filing, deadline 31 July 2026, and refund tracking.
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Quick summary. Income Tax Return (ITR) for the Financial Year 2025–26 / Assessment Year 2026–27 must be filed by 31 July 2026 for individuals not requiring audit. The default regime since FY 2023–24 is the New Tax Regime with ₹0 tax up to ₹12 lakh taxable income (Section 87A rebate raised in Budget 2025). Standard deduction of ₹75,000 under the New regime. File online at eportal.incometax.gov.in using the right form: ITR-1 (Sahaj) for salaried with income up to ₹50 lakh, ITR-2 for capital gains / multiple house property, ITR-3 for business / professional income, ITR-4 (Sugam) for presumptive business income.
ITR filing is mandatory for:
- Anyone whose total income exceeds the basic exemption (₹3 lakh under New regime, ₹2.5 lakh under Old regime)
- Anyone making certain high-value transactions (electricity bill above ₹1 lakh, foreign travel above ₹2 lakh, deposit > ₹1 crore in a current account, > ₹50 lakh in a savings account)
- Anyone wanting to claim a TDS refund or carry forward losses
- All companies, partnerships, LLPs (regardless of income)
The 2025 budget made the New Regime even more attractive by raising the Section 87A rebate to give effective ₹0 tax on incomes up to ₹12 lakh (₹12.75 lakh including standard deduction). Most salaried taxpayers earning up to ₹15 lakh will pay less tax under the New regime now, even before claiming any deductions.
Slabs at a glance — FY 2025–26 (AY 2026–27)
| Income | New Regime tax | Old Regime tax |
|---|---|---|
| Up to ₹3 lakh | Nil | Nil (up to ₹2.5 lakh) |
| ₹3–7 lakh | 5% | 5% (₹2.5–5 lakh) |
| ₹7–10 lakh | 10% | 20% (₹5–10 lakh) |
| ₹10–12 lakh | 15% | 30% (above ₹10 lakh) |
| ₹12–15 lakh | 20% | 30% |
| ₹15–18 lakh | 25% | 30% |
| Above ₹18 lakh | 30% | 30% |
| Section 87A rebate | Up to ₹60,000 (effectively ₹0 tax on income ≤ ₹12 lakh) | Up to ₹12,500 (₹0 tax on income ≤ ₹5 lakh) |
| Standard deduction | ₹75,000 | ₹50,000 |
| 80C / 80D / HRA / Home loan interest | NOT allowed | Allowed |
Practical takeaway. If your salary is below ₹15 lakh and you have moderate 80C/HRA/home-loan investments, switch to the New regime — most calculators now show it gives lower tax. If you have heavy 80C + home loan + HRA, the Old regime may still win. The portal lets you compare both at filing.
Who must file ITR?
Educational Qualification
Not applicable
Age Limit (As on End of relevant financial year)
0 to 120 Years
Other Requirements
- Nationality: Indian resident, NRI with India-source income, foreign citizens with India-source income
- Total gross income above ₹3 lakh (New regime) or ₹2.5 lakh (Old regime) — under either regime exceeding the basic exemption requires filing
- Senior citizens (60–80) — basic exemption ₹3 lakh; super-senior (80+) — ₹5 lakh under Old regime
- Anyone making high-value transactions — electricity bill > ₹1 lakh, foreign travel > ₹2 lakh, deposits > ₹1 crore current / ₹50 lakh savings
- Anyone wanting a TDS refund (e.g., bank deducted TDS but income is below taxable limit)
- Anyone wanting to carry forward business loss / capital loss to next year
- All companies, partnerships, LLPs, AOP, BOI, Trusts — must file regardless of income
Pick the right ITR form
| ITR | Who | Income types covered |
|---|---|---|
| ITR-1 (Sahaj) | Salaried individuals, total income ≤ ₹50 lakh | Salary + 1 house property + interest income + family pension up to ₹5,000 |
| ITR-2 | Individuals / HUFs without business income | Salary + multiple house property + capital gains + foreign income + agricultural income > ₹5,000 |
| ITR-3 | Individuals / HUFs with business or professional income | All above + business / profession income |
| ITR-4 (Sugam) | Individuals / HUFs / Partnership firms (not LLP) opting for presumptive taxation | Business turnover up to ₹2 crore (44AD) / professional gross receipts up to ₹50 lakh (44ADA) |
Don’t pick the wrong form — the portal will reject the return at processing if eligibility doesn’t match.
Documents to keep handy
While filling online form
- PAN — must be linked to Aadhaar (else ITR is invalid)
- Aadhaar card
- Form 16 from your employer (Part A — TDS, Part B — salary breakup)
- Form 26AS — annual tax statement (auto-fetched from portal)
- AIS / TIS — Annual Information Statement / Taxpayer Information Summary (auto-fetched)
- Bank account details + Aadhaar-linked savings account for refund credit
- Interest certificates — bank FD / savings interest / dividend statements
- Capital-gains statements — broker P&L if you traded shares / mutual funds
- Home-loan interest certificate (only if filing Old Regime claiming Section 24)
- 80C / 80D / 80G receipts (only Old Regime)
How to file ITR online
Step 1 — Login to the portal
- Open eportal.incometax.gov.in.
- Login with PAN + password (or Aadhaar OTP if first-time).
- Confirm PAN-Aadhaar linking is active (else file is rejected).
Step 2 — Pick the right ITR form
- Click e-File → Income Tax Returns → File Income Tax Return.
- Select AY 2026–27 + filing status (Individual / HUF / Company).
- Pick the right ITR form (1 / 2 / 3 / 4).
- Choose Online (pre-fill from portal) — most data auto-fetches.
Step 3 — Verify the pre-filled data
The portal pre-fills:
- Personal details from PAN
- Salary from Form 16 (employer’s TDS file)
- Other income from Form 26AS + AIS (interest from FDs, dividend, capital-gains broker reports)
- TDS / TCS / advance tax paid
Cross-verify every number against your own Form 16, AIS, broker P&L. Discrepancies are common when employers / banks miss TDS reporting. If you see numbers in AIS that you didn’t actually earn, file a feedback to correct.
Step 4 — Choose tax regime
Click Switch to New / Old Regime to compare the tax payable. The portal shows both side-by-side. Pick the lower-tax regime (and note: salaried can switch every year; business owners can switch only once in a lifetime back to New regime after going Old).
Step 5 — Add deductions (Old regime only)
If filing Old regime:
- 80C (LIC / EPF / PPF / ELSS / home loan principal / Sukanya / NSC) — up to ₹1.5 lakh
- 80D (medical insurance) — ₹25,000 self + ₹50,000 senior parents
- 80E (education loan interest) — full
- 80G (donations to approved charities) — 50%/100%
- Section 24 (home-loan interest) — up to ₹2 lakh
Step 6 — Compute and verify tax
Portal auto-computes tax + cess (4% Health & Education Cess) + interest under Section 234A/B/C if any. Check the Tax Refund / Tax Payable number. If tax is payable, pay the balance via the e-Pay Tax option before submitting (BSR code + challan number to be entered in ITR).
Step 7 — Submit and e-verify
- Click Preview → Submit.
- e-Verify within 30 days — Aadhaar OTP (fastest), net-banking EVC, bank account EVC, or DEMAT EVC.
- Once verified, the ITR is uploaded for processing. Acknowledgement (ITR-V) is downloadable instantly.
Step 8 — Track refund
If you have a refund, track at eportal.incometax.gov.in → Refund / Demand Status or tin.tin.nsdl.com. Refund typically credited in 20–45 days for clean returns.
⏰ Last Date: 31 July 2026 (without audit) · 31 October 2026 (with audit)
File ITR on e-filing portalClicking this button will take you to the official government portal.
Penalties for late / non-filing
| Situation | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Filing after 31 July but before 31 December 2026 (belated return) | ₹1,000 (income < ₹5 lakh) / ₹5,000 (income > ₹5 lakh) under Section 234F |
| Filing after 31 December 2026 | Belated return not allowed; only updated return via ITR-U (Section 139(8A)) with penalty up to 50% extra tax |
| Tax payable but not paid by 31 March | Interest under Section 234B at 1% per month |
| Missed any advance tax instalment | Section 234C interest at 1% per month |
| Non-filing despite obligation | Prosecution under Section 276CC + heavy penalty |
Frequently asked questions
1. What is the ITR filing deadline for AY 2026–27?
2. Is the New Tax Regime now the default?
3. What is the tax-free income limit in 2026?
4. Which form should I file?
5. Can I file ITR if my income is below ₹3 lakh?
6. How do I e-verify my ITR?
7. When will I get the refund?
8. What if I made a mistake in ITR after filing?
Latest updates
Budget 2025 raised the Section 87A rebate, making ₹12 lakh effectively tax-free under the New Regime. The 2026 e-filing portal added an AI-based ITR-suggester — based on your AIS, the portal recommends the right ITR form, regime, and pre-fills 95%+ of the return. Form 16 auto-pull is now seamless if your employer files quarterly TDS on time. The CBDT’s 2026 norm targets 80% refund issuance within 21 days of e-verification.
Official links
Disclaimer. SarkariBaba is an independent information publisher. Tax slabs, rebate amounts, and form rules are subject to CBDT notifications — always verify on eportal.incometax.gov.in and consult a CA for personal tax positions.
