ITR Filing Deadlines for Assessment Year 2026-27
The Income Tax Department has enabled online filing and Excel utilities for ITR-1, ITR-2, and ITR-4 for Assessment Year 2026-27. Taxpayers must file their returns by the applicable deadline—either July 31 or August 31, 2026—to avoid late filing fees that vary based on annual income.
According to a tweet from the Income Tax India official handle on May 15, 2026, the Excel utility and online filing for ITR-1 and ITR-4 are now available on the e-Filing portal. Similarly, on May 27, 2026, the department announced that ITR-2 forms are also enabled for filing.
Who Must File by July 31?
Individual taxpayers who are not required to get their accounts audited generally have a deadline of July 31. This includes most salaried employees, pensioners, and individuals with income from house property, capital gains, or other sources, provided their total income does not exceed the threshold requiring audit.
For AY 2026-27, the standard due date for such taxpayers is July 31, 2026. Missing this deadline will attract a late filing fee under Section 234F of the Income Tax Act. The fee is ₹1,000 if the total income does not exceed ₹5 lakh, and ₹5,000 for income above ₹5 lakh.
Who Gets the August 31 Deadline?
Taxpayers who are required to get their books of accounts audited under the Income Tax Act or any other law have a later deadline of August 31, 2026. This typically applies to businesses and professionals whose turnover or gross receipts exceed specified limits.
Additionally, partners of firms that are required to be audited also fall under this category. The late fee for missing the August 31 deadline is the same as for July 31, but the delay period is shorter if filed after the applicable due date.
How to File Your ITR
The Income Tax Department has made the filing process smoother by enabling Excel utilities and online forms on the e-Filing portal. Taxpayers can log in at incometax.gov.in and select the appropriate ITR form based on their income sources.
For AY 2026-27, ITR-1 (Sahaj) is for resident individuals with income up to ₹50 lakh from salary, one house property, and other sources. ITR-2 is for individuals and HUFs not having income from business or profession, while ITR-4 (Sugam) is for presumptive income from business or profession.
As the official tweets confirm, all three forms are now active for filing. Taxpayers are advised to file early to avoid last-minute glitches and penalties.
