About Income Tax E-Filing
ITR-1 to ITR-7 e-filing on income-tax portal with computation Form 26AS reconciliation and AIS validation. Forms handled: ITR-1, ITR-2, ITR-3, ITR-4, ITR-5, ITR-6, ITR-7. Legal basis: Section 139 Income Tax Act.
Plain-English glossary for this service
Regular Assessment is the assessment completed under Section 143(3) after scrutiny, or under Section 144 as best judgment. Distinct from summary processing under Section 143(1), which is automated and limited to prima-facie adjustments enumerated in the provision.
New Tax Regime is the concessional-slab framework under Section 115BAC of the Income-tax Act. From AY 2024-25 it is the default regime for individuals, HUFs, AOPs (non-cooperative), BOIs and artificial juridical persons. Most Chapter VI-A deductions are withdrawn save Section 80CCD(2) and Section 80JJAA.
Belated Return is a return furnished under Section 139(4) after the original due date under Section 139(1) but on or before 31 December of the assessment year. Loss carry-forward (other than house property loss and unabsorbed depreciation) is denied, and Section 234F fee is leviable.
Section 139AA mandates quotation of the Aadhaar number while applying for PAN and in the return of income. PAN-Aadhaar linkage is required by the notified date. Rule 114AAA renders the PAN inoperative on default — refund withheld, higher TDS under Section 206AA / 206CC.
Surcharge is an additional levy on the income-tax computed, slabbed by total income — 10 percent above ₹50 lakh, 15 percent above ₹1 crore, 25 percent above ₹2 crore and 37 percent above ₹5 crore (capped at 25 percent under the new regime from AY 2024-25 by the Finance Act 2023).
Salary Income is the income chargeable under the head Salaries — Sections 15 to 17. Includes basic pay, dearness allowance, house rent allowance, perquisites, profits in lieu of salary and pension. Standard deduction of ₹50,000 (₹75,000 under the new regime from AY 2025-26) is allowable under Section 16(ia).
Advance Tax is tax paid during the previous year in instalments under Sections 207 to 211 where the estimated tax liability for the year, after TDS and TCS credits, exceeds ₹10,000. Resident senior citizens not having business or profession income are excluded by Section 207(2).
Specified Bank Account is the bank account designated by the assessee in the return for credit of refund. Must be pre-validated on the e-filing portal and linked with the PAN. Without pre-validation the refund is held back even where determined under Section 143(1).
Previous Year is the financial year immediately preceding the assessment year — for income earned between 1 April and 31 March, this twelve-month block is the previous year. Defined in Section 3 of the Income-tax Act. Income earned during the previous year is offered to tax in the corresponding assessment year.
ITR-V is the verification form generated where the return is filed without DSC or EVC. The signed ITR-V is to be despatched to CPC at Bengaluru within thirty days of transmission of the return data. Failure to despatch in time invalidates the return.
Basic Exemption Limit is the income up to which no tax is payable. Under the new regime it is ₹3 lakh for AY 2025-26; under the old regime it remains ₹2.5 lakh for those below 60, ₹3 lakh for senior citizens and ₹5 lakh for super senior citizens.
Schedule FA is the foreign assets disclosure schedule mandatory for any resident-and-ordinarily-resident taxpayer holding any foreign asset or financial interest abroad at any point in the previous year. Non-disclosure or under-disclosure attracts a ₹10 lakh penalty per year under Section 43 of the Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) Act 2015, separate from the ordinary income tax consequences.
Operative provisions cited on this page
Every claim on this page can be traced back to a section or rule below.
Sub-section (1) of Section 139 of the Income-tax Act 1961 obliges every company and firm, and every other person whose total income before the deductions claimable under Chapter VI-A exceeds the basic exemption limit, to furnish a return of income for the previous year on or before the due date prescribed in Explanation 2. It is to be noted that the obligation under sub-section (1) is unconditional for companies and firms regardless of whether the total income is positive or nil. The seventh proviso further extends the obligation to persons satisfying notified expenditure or deposit triggers.
View sourceSub-section (4) of Section 139 provides that a person who has not furnished a return within the time allowed under sub-section (1) may furnish a belated return at any time before the thirty-first day of December of the assessment year, or before completion of assessment, whichever is earlier. It is to be noted that belated returns attract Section 234A interest from the original due date and a Section 234F fee. Carry-forward of business and capital losses under Chapter VI is denied for belated returns, save unabsorbed depreciation under Section 32(2).
View sourceSub-section (5) of Section 139 permits any person who has furnished a return under sub-section (1) or sub-section (4) to file a revised return on discovering any omission or wrong statement therein. The revised return may be furnished at any time before the thirty-first day of December of the assessment year or before completion of assessment, whichever is earlier. Sub-section (5) does not impose a numerical cap on the number of revisions; each successive revision supersedes the immediately preceding return.
View sourceSub-section (9) of Section 139 empowers the Assessing Officer to intimate the assessee of defects in the return and to provide an opportunity to rectify the defects within fifteen days of the intimation, or within such further period as may be allowed. The Explanation below sub-section (9) enumerates situations treated as defects — annexures or statements not accompanying the return, tax paid not credited, audit report under Section 44AB not furnished, and the like. Failure to rectify within the allowed time renders the return invalid and the assessee is treated as having furnished no return for that assessment year.
View sourceSub-section (8A) of Section 139, inserted by the Finance Act 2022, permits any person, whether or not they have furnished an earlier return for the relevant assessment year, to furnish an updated return at any time within twenty-four months from the end of the relevant assessment year. The updated return must be accompanied by proof of payment of the additional tax computed under Section 140B — twenty-five percent or fifty percent of the aggregate of tax and interest, depending on whether the updated return is filed within or beyond twelve months of the end of the assessment year.
View sourceSection 140 prescribes who shall sign and verify the return of income — the individual himself in case of individuals, the Karta in case of a Hindu Undivided Family, the managing director in case of a company, the designated partner in case of an LLP, the principal officer in case of an association of persons, and so on. The Income-tax Rules permit verification through Digital Signature Certificate, Electronic Verification Code, or by sending a signed physical ITR-V to the Centralised Processing Centre at Bengaluru within thirty days of transmission of the return data electronically.
View sourceSub-rule (1) of Rule 12 of the Income-tax Rules 1962 prescribes the forms applicable to each class of assessee — ITR-1 (SAHAJ) for resident individuals with income up to ₹50 lakh from salary, one house property and other sources; ITR-2 for individuals and HUFs not having business or profession income; ITR-3 for individuals and HUFs having business or profession income; ITR-4 (SUGAM) for presumptive cases under Sections 44AD, 44ADA or 44AE; ITR-5 for firms and LLPs; ITR-6 for companies other than those claiming Section 11; ITR-7 for trusts and political parties. Sub-rule (3) prescribes electronic mode as the default.
View sourceSub-section (1) of Section 142 empowers the Assessing Officer, where a person has not furnished a return within the time allowed under Section 139(1) or before the end of the relevant assessment year, to serve a notice requiring the person to furnish a return in the prescribed form. The Assessing Officer may also require production of accounts, documents or information relevant to the assessment. Non-compliance with a Section 142(1) notice attracts a Section 271(1)(b) penalty of ten thousand rupees per default and, in serious cases, prosecution under Section 276D.
View sourceForms used in this engagement
Simplified return for resident individuals (other than not-ordinarily-resident) having income from salary, one house property, family pension, agricultural income up to ₹5,000 and other sources, where total income does not exceed ₹50 lakh.
Return for individuals and HUFs having income from salary, multiple house properties, capital gains, foreign assets, agricultural income exceeding ₹5,000, or being a director in a company or holding unlisted equity shares.
Return for individuals and HUFs having income under the head Profits and gains of business or profession, including partners of firms, professionals, and proprietors not eligible for the presumptive scheme.
Simplified return for resident individuals, HUFs and firms (other than LLPs) declaring income on presumptive basis under Section 44AD (small business turnover up to ₹2 crore or ₹3 crore subject to cash-receipt cap), Section 44ADA (specified profession gross receipts up to ₹50 lakh or ₹75 lakh subject to cash-receipt cap), or Section 44AE (goods carriage operators).
Return for partnership firms, limited liability partnerships, associations of persons, bodies of individuals, artificial juridical persons, co-operative societies and local authorities — entities other than those filing in ITR-7.
Return for companies (private, public, one-person) other than those whose income is wholly exempt under Section 11 (charitable trusts), required to be filed electronically with Digital Signature Certificate.
Return for charitable trusts, religious trusts, political parties, scientific research associations, news agencies, universities and educational institutions claiming exemption under specified provisions.
Updated return for an assessment year, irrespective of whether an earlier return was furnished. Used to declare omitted income and pay the additional tax computed under Section 140B. Cannot be used to claim a refund, increase a loss, or reduce tax liability.
Acknowledgement-cum-verification form generated on submission of return without Digital Signature Certificate or Electronic Verification Code. Signed copy is sent by ordinary post or speed post to the CPC at Bengaluru.
Form furnished by an individual, HUF, AOP, BOI or artificial juridical person to opt out of the default new tax regime and continue under the old regime for the assessment year. Opt-out is irrevocable once business or profession income is involved, unless the assessee ceases to have such income.
Consolidated tax statement reflecting tax deducted at source by deductors, tax collected at source by collectors, advance and self-assessment tax payments, refunds received, and specified financial transactions. Reconciliation of Form 26AS with the books and the AIS is the first step in any e-filing engagement.
Comprehensive statement covering information reported in Form 26AS plus interest, dividends, securities transactions, mutual fund transactions, foreign remittances, GST turnover and other notified data. Taxpayer feedback is accepted to flag duplicate or erroneous entries.
Compliance deadlines that matter
Miss any of these and the next consequence kicks in automatically.
Old Regime vs New Regime u/s 115BAC
Three named tax practitioners — not a faceless outsourcer
B.Com, CA Inter, GST Practitioner. 15+ years and 500+ Chennai engagements. Leads the notice-reply and CMA project-report practice.
B.Com. 15+ years in statutory and ROC compliance, partnership-firm matters, and audit-support engagements.
B.Com, M.Com. 5+ years on monthly GST returns, GSTR-2B reconciliation, and ASMT-10 first-touch responses.