Income tax return filing for individuals

Overview

Individuals file their income tax return (ITR) on the Income Tax Department's e-filing portal. The right form depends on your sources of income: salaried people with simple income usually file ITR-1, those with capital gains or foreign assets ITR-2, and people with business or professional income ITR-3 or ITR-4 (presumptive taxation).

Filing even when tax has been fully deducted at source is often required, and it is how refunds are claimed, losses carried forward and a clean record kept for loans and visas. We compare the new and old tax regimes where you have a choice, check your annual information statement (AIS) and Form 26AS for income and TDS the department already knows about, and file after you approve the computation.

The Income-tax Act, 2025 replaced the Income-tax Act, 1961 from 1 April 2026: it applies to income earned from the tax year 2026-27 onwards, while returns for earlier years follow the 1961 Act. Some form numbers and section references change under the new Act, so we check the current form for each filing.

Who needs it

• Individuals whose income is above the basic exemption limit
• Anyone claiming a tax refund
• People with capital gains, more than one house property, foreign income or foreign assets
• Freelancers and professionals with income other than salary

Documents required

What we usually ask for. Our team confirms the exact list for your case before anything is filed.

• PAN and Aadhaar (linked), and the e-filing portal login
• Form 16 from your employer and Form 16A or other TDS certificates
• Annual information statement (AIS), taxpayer information summary (TIS) and Form 26AS
• Bank statements and interest certificates
• Capital gains statements from your broker or mutual fund registrar
• Proof of deductions you claim, if you choose the old regime
• Details of foreign assets and income, if any

How it works

1. 1

   Collect your documents

   We share a checklist tailored to your income; you upload what applies.

2. 2

   Reconcile with AIS and 26AS

   We match your income and TDS with what the department has on record and flag mismatches before filing.

3. 3

   Compute tax and choose the regime

   We compute tax under the regimes available to you and explain the difference.

4. 4

   Your approval

   You review the computation and the return before anything is filed.

5. 5

   File and e-verify

   The return is filed on the e-filing portal and must be e-verified (for example with an Aadhaar OTP) within the time the department allows.

Typical timeline

For most individuals who don't need a tax audit, the due date is usually 31 July after the financial year ends; the department sometimes extends it. A late (belated) return can generally be filed until 31 December, with a late fee and interest, and some benefits, such as carrying forward certain losses, are lost. Refund processing time is decided by the Income Tax Department.

Get a free quote

Answer a few questions and our team will contact you. It takes about two minutes.

Official sources

The government portals and laws this page is based on:

• Income Tax e-filing portal