The income tax portal opened ITR filing for AY 2026-27 (income earned during FY 2025-26) on April 1. Most salaried Indians have until July 31, 2026 to file.
Key deadlines
- July 31, 2026 — Individuals, HUFs not requiring audit
- October 31, 2026 — Businesses requiring audit
- November 30, 2026 — Assessees with transfer pricing report
- December 31, 2026 — Belated return (with late fee)
- March 31, 2027 — Updated return (ITR-U) for AY 2026-27
Why file early
1. Faster refund. The IT department processes early returns within 15-30 days. Late July filers wait 6-8 weeks. 2. AIS/26AS reconciliation. You have time to raise correction requests if something is wrong. 3. Home loan / visa proof. Banks and embassies increasingly ask for the current AY acknowledgement.
Common mistakes that trigger notices
- Mismatch between AIS and what you declare
- Missing foreign assets in Schedule FA (huge penalty — up to ₹10 lakh)
- Crypto gains not reported under Schedule VDA (30% flat + 1% TDS)
- Claiming HRA without landlord PAN (required if annual rent > ₹1 lakh)
- Not reporting exempt income like PPF interest, agricultural income
Penalty for missing July 31
- Income below ₹5 lakh: ₹1,000 late fee
- Income above ₹5 lakh: ₹5,000 late fee
- Plus 1% per month interest on unpaid tax under Section 234A
- Loss of carry-forward for capital losses
Before you file
Use our Income Tax Calculator to cross-check your self-assessment tax, and the Old vs New Regime calculator to confirm which regime is better for you this year.