Giving relief to crores of taxpayers, the Income Tax Department has extended the last date for filing ITR. Now tax returns for assessment year 2025-26 can be filed till 15 September 2025.
Earlier the deadline for non-audit category taxpayers was 31 July, that is, now they have got 45 days extra time. Filing ITR means giving complete information about your income, tax saving investments, tax deductions and tax payment to the government. According to the Income Tax Act, 1961, if your annual income is more than the basic exemption limit, then it becomes necessary to file ITR.
This time the tax department has given this extension in view of the changes in the ITR form, problems related to TDS and other technical reasons. Meanwhile, the department has also released ITR utility tools, which make online ITR filing easier.
How to file ITR?
ITR filing can be done both offline and online, but most people now prefer to file returns online through the e-filing website. PAN based user ID is used to login to this portal and pre-filled information is also available in it, which makes the process even easier.
Salary class people should wait a little
Although ITR forms and utilities are now available, salaried class people usually start filing returns only after June 15. The reason for this is Form 16, which is the most important document for employed people and most companies issue it in the last week of June or early July.
Documents required to file ITR
As soon as you get Form 16, other necessary documents also have to be collected like Form 26AS, Annual Information Statement (AIS), Tax Information Statement (TIS), bank statement and interest certificate etc. All these help in cross checking the income and tax details. After this, the next step is to choose the right ITR form. The Income Tax Department has issued a total of 7 forms from ITR-1 to ITR-7 for the financial year 2024-25. Of these, ITR-1 to ITR-4 are generally for individuals and HUFs.
Easy way of e-Filing- Step by step guide
step 1:
- Go to the Income Tax e-filing website and click on ‘Login’
- Enter your PAN number in the User ID field
- Click on ‘Continue’ and enter the password
- Then press ‘Continue’ again and login
Step 2 – Go to ‘e-File’ tab > select ‘Income Tax Returns’ > ‘File Income Tax Return’
Step 3:
- Select ‘AY 2025-26’ as Assessment Year
- Select ‘Online’ in the filing mode
- Choose either Original or Revised return option in filing type
Step 4:
- Select your status – Individual, HUF or Others
- For most people, ‘Individual’ is the option they have to select.
Step 5 –
- Now choose the correct ITR form
- This is decided according to your income source
Step 6: Specify the reason for filing – like your income exceeds the tax exemption limit or you fulfil certain criteria
Step 7:
- Check the details already filled in the system – like PAN, Aadhaar, name, contact and bank details
- Also verify your income, exemptions and deduction details carefully
Step 8:
- Finally, verify your ITR
- You can do this through methods like Aadhaar OTP, Net Banking, EVC
- Or you can take a printout of ITR-V, sign it and send it to CPC, Bengaluru.
