Ollvy
Business ITR Filing

Complete Guide & Document Checklist

How to File ITR for Business

Step-by-step process, required documents checklist, costs, timeline, and frequently asked questions

Timeline

3-15

working days (depending on audit requirement)

Government Fee

Free (portal)

17

Total Documents

10

Required

4

Ollvy Handles

01

Identity and Signing

For the entity and the signing director/partner

Entity PAN Card

REQ

company or LLP PAN - different from promoter personal PAN

Aadhaar of Signing Director/Partner

REQ

for e-verification of ITR - OTP will be sent to the signatory's Aadhaar-linked mobile

DSC of Signing Director/Partner

REQOLLVY

Class 3 DSC for signing ITR and tax audit report - Ollvy can procure if needed

02

Financial Statements

Audited financials for the financial year

Audited Balance Sheet

REQ

signed by auditor and directors - as of March 31

Profit and Loss Statement

REQ

audited P&L for the year - revenue, expenses, net profit/loss

Notes to Accounts

REQ

accounting policies and disclosures - part of audited financials

Trial Balance

REQ

year-end trial balance - basis for preparing financial statements

03

Tax Documents

TDS, advance tax, and credit statements

Form 26AS and AIS

REQ

download from incometax.gov.in - cross-verify against GST returns and financial statements

TDS Certificates (Form 16A)

from clients who deducted TDS on payments to your business

Advance Tax Challans

proof of advance tax payments made during the year

Tax Computation (CA Prepared)

OLLVY

prepared by Ollvy's CA based on financial statements provided

04

Books of Accounts

Maintained mandatorily under Section 44AA

Books of Accounts (Cash Book, Ledger)

REQ

maintained mandatorily under Section 44AA - digital or physical

Tax Audit Report (Form 3CA/3CB + Form 3CD)

OLLVY

mandatory when turnover exceeds ₹1 Crore - prepared by CA

Depreciation Schedule

for businesses with capital assets - IT depreciation rates differ from Companies Act

05

GST Records

For reconciliation with income

GSTR-3B Summary

REQ

all 12 months filed - for Clause 44 reconciliation

GSTR-9 Annual Return

annual GST return - mandatory for businesses with turnover above ₹2 Crore

GST Reconciliation Statement (GSTR-9C)

OLLVY

mandatory for turnover above ₹5 Crore - reconciles audited P&L with GST returns

REQRequired document
OLLVYWe handle this

Entity PAN Card

Identity and Signing

REQUIRED

What is this?

Every company and LLP has its own PAN, separate from the directors' or partners' personal PANs. The business ITR is filed under the entity PAN.

How to get it

The entity PAN was issued by MCA at the time of incorporation. Download from the IT portal or locate the original PAN card.

Common Issues

Filing ITR under the wrong PAN (personal instead of entity or vice versa) is a common mistake for new founders.

Requirements

  • 01Separate PAN for company/LLP/partnership - not the promoter's personal PAN
  • 02Entity PAN is used for: ITR filing, GST, TDS deductions, bank accounts
  • 03If lost: apply for reprint at NSDL/UTIITSL
  • 04Link entity PAN with TAN if you deduct TDS

Which ITR form you use depends on your business structure. Sole proprietors and partnership partners file business income as part of their personal ITR using ITR-3 or ITR-4. Firms and LLPs file ITR-5. Private Limited and other companies file ITR-6. Getting the right form and understanding if you need a tax audit under Section 44AB is critical - get it wrong and you face penalties.

For FY 2025-26, a tax audit by a Chartered Accountant is mandatory if your business turnover exceeds Rs. 1 crore (or Rs. 10 crore if 95% of transactions are digital). For professionals, the audit threshold is Rs. 50 lakhs of gross receipts. Audited returns are due 31st October 2026; non-audit returns are due 31st July 2026. Presumptive taxation under Section 44AD (businesses) and 44ADA (professionals) can significantly simplify things if you qualify.

Filing Business ITR for a Private Limited company (ITR-6) or LLP (ITR-5) requires audited financial statements plus several supporting documents that your CA will use to prepare the tax computation.

The most critical documents are the audited Balance Sheet and P&L. For Pvt Ltd companies, statutory audit is mandatory every year regardless of turnover - you cannot file without it. For LLPs, audit is mandatory only above Rs. 40 lakh turnover or Rs. 25 lakh partner contribution.

Form 26AS is particularly important for companies and LLPs - it shows all TDS deducted from payments received (rent received, professional fees, etc.) that can be claimed as credit against your tax liability. Unclaimed TDS credit is money left on the table.

The depreciation schedule must be verified against the Companies Act rates for the statutory audit and the Income Tax Act rates for the ITR computation. These are different - the IT Act has its own depreciation rates under Section 32. Your CA will reconcile both.

Director or partner remuneration has specific treatment: for companies, salary paid to working directors is deductible but must comply with Companies Act limits. For LLPs, partner remuneration is deductible under Section 40(b) subject to statutory limits on the amount.

01

Who needs to file?

You're a sole proprietor or freelancer with business or professional income

You're a partner in a partnership firm or LLP reporting your share of firm profits

Your Pvt Ltd company, LLP, or OPC needs to file its entity-level income tax return (ITR-6 or ITR-5)

Your business turnover exceeds Rs. 1 crore and you need a tax audit

You're a professional (doctor, lawyer, CA, architect) with gross receipts above Rs. 50 lakhs

Your business has international transactions requiring a transfer pricing report

02

Step-by-step process

1

Determine your correct ITR form

Use ITR-3 for proprietors, partners, or directors with business income and no presumptive taxation. ITR-4 (Sugam) works if you're using presumptive taxation under 44AD, 44ADA, or 44AE. LLPs and firms use ITR-5. Companies use ITR-6.

2

Check if you need a tax audit

If your business turnover exceeds Rs. 1 crore (Rs. 10 crore for digital transactions) or professional receipts exceed Rs. 50 lakhs, a Chartered Accountant must audit your accounts under Section 44AB before you file.

3

Finalise your books of accounts

Prepare your profit and loss statement and balance sheet for FY 2025-26. Make sure all income and expenses are properly recorded. If you're using accounting software, export the required reports.

4

Compute taxable income and deductions

Calculate net profit after all allowable business expenses. Claim deductions under Section 80C, 80D, and other applicable sections. Account for losses from prior years that you can set off against current income.

5

Get the tax audit done (if required)

Engage a CA to conduct the audit and upload the Tax Audit Report (Form 3CA/3CB and 3CD) on the Income Tax portal before you file your return. The CA signs and uploads using their credentials.

6

Pay advance tax and self-assessment tax

If your total tax liability after TDS is Rs. 10,000 or more, advance tax must be paid in quarterly instalments during the year. Pay any remaining self-assessment tax via Challan 280 on the Income Tax portal before filing.

7

File and e-verify your return

Log in to incometax.gov.in, select your ITR form, fill in the required schedules, and submit. E-verify immediately using Aadhaar OTP, net banking, or DSC to complete the process.

03

Frequently Asked Questions

Section 44AD lets small businesses with turnover up to Rs. 3 crore declare 8% of turnover (6% for digital receipts) as net profit without maintaining detailed books. This simplifies compliance significantly. But once you opt out of 44AD, you can't come back for 5 years.

For businesses not requiring audit: 31st July 2026. For businesses requiring tax audit under Section 44AB: 31st October 2026. For businesses with international transactions requiring transfer pricing report under Section 92E: 30th November 2026.

You'll face a penalty of 0.5% of total sales or gross receipts, up to Rs. 1.5 lakhs, under Section 271B. Plus, filing after the due date without a valid reason attracts the Rs. 5,000 late filing fee under Section 234F.

Yes, if you're a specified professional - doctor, lawyer, CA, architect, engineer, film artist, or management consultant. If gross receipts are below Rs. 75 lakhs (with 95% digital receipts), you can declare 50% of receipts as net income without maintaining detailed books.

Companies pay corporate income tax at 22% (plus surcharge and cess, totaling 25.17% effective rate) under Section 115BAA if they forgo certain deductions. New manufacturing companies can opt for 15% (17.01% effective) under Section 115BAB. Companies not using these concessional regimes pay 30% on net profits.
04

Common mistakes to avoid

  • 01Filing ITR-4 under presumptive taxation when turnover has crossed the Rs. 3 crore limit
  • 02Not paying advance tax instalments on time, triggering interest under Sections 234B and 234C
  • 03Missing the 31st October tax audit deadline by not engaging a CA early enough
  • 04Not claiming depreciation on business assets, resulting in unnecessarily high taxable income
  • 05Failing to report all bank accounts in the ITR - this triggers mismatch notices
  • 06Not setting off business losses against other income or carrying them forward properly
  • 07Treating capital expenditure as revenue expenditure (or vice versa) incorrectly
05

Related services

GST Monthly FilingMCA Annual Filing (for Companies)TDS Monthly Compliance

Need help with Business ITR?

Ollvy handles complete business ITR filing - from audit coordination to return filing. CA assigned within 24 hours.

File Business ITR

Calculate ITR late filing penalty

06

More Questions

Yes. Under the Companies Act 2013, every Pvt Ltd company must get its accounts audited by a practicing Chartered Accountant, every year, regardless of turnover or whether the company was active. There is no exemption based on size.

Form 3CA is used when accounts are audited under another law (like the Companies Act) - i.e., most Pvt Ltd companies. Form 3CB is used when accounts are audited only under the Income Tax Act (i.e., businesses that require tax audit but not statutory audit). Both are accompanied by Form 3CD, the detailed audit statement.

The depreciation schedule lists all fixed assets - buildings, machinery, computers, vehicles - with their original cost, accumulated depreciation, and written-down value. The Income Tax Act has its own block-based depreciation rates (Section 32) that differ from Companies Act rates. The CA uses both to reconcile the tax computation.

For an LLP with book profit up to Rs. 3 lakh: remuneration deductible is higher of Rs. 1.5 lakh or 90% of book profit. Above Rs. 3 lakh: 60% of book profit above Rs. 3 lakh plus Rs. 1.5 lakh. Remuneration above this limit is disallowed and added back to taxable income.

Yes. Business losses from previous years (carried forward in prior ITRs) can be set off against current year business income. Capital losses can offset capital gains. The carry-forward period is 8 years for most losses. The prior year ITR showing the carried-forward loss is the supporting document.

How we reviewed this page

The penalty amounts, deadlines, and regulatory requirements on this page are sourced directly from official government portals. We do not use secondary sources. When regulations change, we update the page.