ITR filing for AY 2026-27 begins: How to file returns

ITR filing for AY 2026-27 begins: How to file returns

The Income Tax Department has officially started the process of filing Income Tax Returns (ITRs) for the Assessment Year 2026-27.

The department announced the launch on its official X account, saying that Excel utilities for ITR-1 and ITR-4 forms are now available on the e-filing portal.

Eligible taxpayers can now visit this portal, download these forms, fill them out, and upload them after generating a JSON file post verification.

Excel utilities introduced for offline return preparation

The newly introduced Excel-based utilities let taxpayers prepare their returns offline before submitting them online.

This move is expected to ease the filing process for many, especially those who prefer working on their returns at their own pace.

The department's announcement also emphasized that this facility has been made available to help taxpayers complete their filings well ahead of the July 31 deadline for non-audit cases.

Understanding ITR-1 and ITR-4 forms

ITR-1, or 'Sahaj,' is for resident individuals earning up to ₹50 lakh annually from salary/pension, two house properties, other sources (like interest income), and agricultural income up to ₹5,000.

Taxpayers with long-term capital gains under Section 112A up to ₹1.25 lakh can also use this form.

On the other hand, ITR-4 (Sugam) applies to resident individuals/Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs)/firms (other than LLPs) with annual income up to ₹50 lakh under presumptive taxation schemes mentioned in Sections 44AD/44ADA/44AE.