Income-Tax return (ITR) forms for financial year 2025-26 (FY26) or assessment year 2026-27 (AY27) have been notified by the tax department, with Excel Utility for the ITR-1 and ITR-4 forms also enabled by the I-T department. According to reports from Mint, taxpayers can now use the excel utility to prepare their return documents offline before uploading their returns digitally. Filing options include using a certified professional (Chartered Accountant or financial planner) or filing independently by logging into the site with User ID and password. For first-time online filers, registration requires PAN, Aadhaar and other related details on the website.
The e-pay process begins by visiting the I-T e-filing portal at https://www.incometax.gov.in/ and clicking the 'e-pay tax' link under Quick Links. As reported by Mint, taxpayers must fill in Aadhaar, mobile number and PAN details, followed by a six-digit OTP verification. The system displays name and PAN number in encrypted format with payment options for demand payment as regular assessment tax, equalisation levy/STT/CTT, fee/other payments and income tax. Payment can be made through bank/debit/credit card, NEFT/RTGS, UPI/BHIM, or net banking, with a preview of filled details before final submission.
For the current tax year FY25-26/AY26-27, individual taxpayers have until 31 July 2026 to file ITR, while those using ITR forms 3 and 4 have until 31 August 2026. According to Mint, taxpayers who miss the July deadline can still file a delayed return by 31 December 2026. The article recommends that salaried taxpayers wait until at least 15 June to ensure updated Form 16, 16A, 26AS and Annual Information Statement (AIS) for proper cross-checking of financial transactions.
Taxpayers can download ITR forms from the official e-filing portal and use the correct form for smooth processing. As reported by Mint, the ITR-1 form applies to salaried individuals with one house property and other sources, ITR-2 covers individuals or Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) without business income, ITR-3 applies to individuals or HUF with income from business or profession, and ITR-4 is for taxpayers with presumptive income from business or profession. Using the wrong form could trigger a notice of correction from the tax department.
