ITR Filing 2025: The new assessment year 2025-26 has started. Now taxpayers are filing Income Tax Returns (ITR). The last date for filing returns on income for the financial year 2024-25 is usually 31 July 2025. However, the government can also extend it if needed.
Who is required to file ITR?
Filing ITR is mandatory for all individuals whose annual income exceeds the basic exemption limit. If your income does not fall under the tax bracket, you can still file zero ITR.
In some cases, it becomes mandatory to file ITR even if your taxable income is less than the exemption limit. Such as bank deposits of more than ₹ 1 crore, savings account balance of more than ₹ 50 lakh.
Tax rates in the new tax regime (FY 2025-26)
| Income Limit | Tax Rate |
| ₹0 – ₹4,00,000 | NIL |
| ₹4,00,001 – ₹8,00,000 | 5% |
| ₹8,00,001 – ₹12,00,000 | 10% |
| ₹12,00,001 – ₹16,00,000 | 15% |
| ₹16,00,001 – ₹20,00,000 | 20% |
| ₹20,00,001 – ₹24,00,000 | 25% |
| Above ₹24,00,001 | 30% |
Note: There is no change in the old tax slabs.
Do these 5 important things before filing ITR
Filing ITR is not just a matter of filling a form. If you do not prepare properly, then either the return may get rejected or you may get a notice from the Income Tax Department later. Therefore, complete these 5 tasks on time.
- Gather all your documents in one place
Before filing ITR, you must have all your income and tax related documents. These include:
- Form 16 (if you are employed)
- Bank statement and passbook
- Investment details for the whole year
- Rental income, income from other sources
- Form 26AS and AIS Statement
- Capital gains information (from stocks, mutual funds or crypto)
These documents are not only useful for filling forms but also help in tracing tax audit.
2. Choose the right ITR form
There is no single form for every taxpayer. It depends on your income source, status and financial activity.
- ITR-1 is usually the first option for a salaried taxpayer with one house property
- If there is capital gain, then ITR-2
- If you have business or profession then file ITR-3 or ITR-4
This time some minor changes have been made in some forms. So first make sure which form fits your profile.
3. Be sure to check Form 26AS and AIS report
Both Form 26AS and AIS i.e. Annual Information Statement contain a record of your financial activity. If you have not mentioned any income and it is recorded here, then the Income Tax Department may ask you for clarification.
Therefore, before filing the return, check both the statements carefully and see if all the information is matching or not.
4. It is important to pay attention to PAN-Aadhaar linking
If your PAN card is not linked to Aadhaar, filing returns can be difficult. The tax department has made it mandatory. If there is any mistake in linking – like difference in name or date of birth – then get it corrected first. Without linking, your return will not be processed.
5. Be transparent in your income declaration
Many taxpayers believe that hiding small income will not do any good, but in today’s digital tax monitoring, this is not easy. If you do not give information about FD, mutual fund, or rental income, then the department can get its data.
So report every income source correctly, even if you are not paying tax on it. Transparency is the easiest way to avoid future tax scrutiny.
How to file ITR online?
- Visit https://www.incometax.gov.in
- Register or Login
- Fill in the required details
- Select the form
- Fill in all the information in the online form
- Click on “Proceed”
- Validate the form
- Submit it
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