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Personal ITR Filing

Complete Guide & Document Checklist

How to File ITR for Salaried Individuals

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

Timeline

1-3

days (if all documents are ready)

Government Fee

Free (self-filing on incometax.gov.in)

16

Total Documents

5

Required

0

Ollvy Handles

01

Income Documents

Proof of all your income sources

PAN Card

REQ

mandatory for filing - and must be linked with Aadhaar

Aadhaar Card

REQ

for e-verification of return - Aadhaar OTP is the fastest way to verify

Form 16

REQ

TDS certificate from employer - issued annually by June 15

Salary Slips (Last 3 Months)

useful if Form 16 is not yet received or if perquisites need verification

Bank Statements (All Accounts)

REQ

all savings and current accounts active during the financial year

Bank Interest Certificate / Form 16A

for FD interest and TDS deducted on deposits - issued by your bank

Form 26AS and Annual Information Statement (AIS)

REQ

download both from incometax.gov.in - cross-verify with all other documents

Rental Income Proof

rent receipts or agreement - if you receive rent from any property

02

Deduction Proofs

Documents for claiming tax deductions - old tax regime only

80C Investment Proofs

up to ₹1.5 lakh deduction - only available if you choose old tax regime

Home Loan Statement

interest certificate from lender - for Section 24(b) deduction

Health Insurance Premium (Section 80D)

for self, spouse, children, and parents - premium receipts from insurer

Donation Receipts (Section 80G)

50% or 100% deduction depending on recipient

03

Capital Gains Documents

If you sold shares, property, or other assets

Stock Trading Statements (Capital Gains)

Profit and Loss statement from your broker

Mutual Fund Statements (Capital Gains)

consolidated statement from CAMS or KFintech

Property Sale Documents

sale deed, cost of acquisition, and stamp duty value

Previous Year ITR Acknowledgment

ITR-V from last year - for carry-forward losses and continuity

REQRequired document
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PAN Card

Income Documents

REQUIRED

What is this?

PAN is your taxpayer identifier. ITR filing is not possible without PAN. Ensure PAN is linked with Aadhaar at incometax.gov.in before filing - an inoperative PAN cannot be used.

How to get it

If not already linked, link PAN with Aadhaar at incometax.gov.in. A late fee of Rs. 1,000 applies if linking was done after June 30, 2023.

Common Issues

PAN-Aadhaar linkage is the most common issue that blocks filing. Verify it well before the filing deadline.

Requirements

  • 01Mandatory for all ITR filings - filing is not possible without PAN
  • 02PAN must be linked with Aadhaar - check at incometax.gov.in before filing
  • 03Inoperative PAN (not linked with Aadhaar) cannot be used for filing from July 2023
  • 04Linking PAN with Aadhaar costs ₹1,000 late fee if done after June 30, 2023
  • 05Name change after marriage: update PAN name to match bank and employer records

If your annual income exceeds the basic exemption limit, you need to file an Income Tax Return. For FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27), salaried individuals must file by 31st July 2026. Under the new tax regime (now the default), the basic exemption is Rs. 3 lakhs - but with the Section 87A rebate, income up to Rs. 7 lakhs is effectively tax-free.

The Income Tax Department has made filing pretty straightforward through their e-Filing portal at incometax.gov.in. If you're salaried, most of your data is already pre-filled from Form 26AS, the Annual Information Statement (AIS), and your employer's Form 16. Filing on time means you can carry forward losses, get faster refunds, and avoid the Section 234F late filing fee.

Filing an individual income tax return for FY 2024-25 requires gathering documents from multiple sources - your employer, your bank, and various investment platforms. Missing even one document (like a Form 26AS showing TDS that was not declared) can lead to a notice asking you to explain the discrepancy.

The two most important documents are Form 16 (from your employer, if salaried) and Form 26AS / AIS (Annual Information Statement, available on the income tax portal). Form 26AS shows all TDS deducted against your PAN - every employer, bank, and party who deducted tax from your payments. AIS goes further, showing all financial transactions linked to your PAN including securities sales, property purchases, and foreign remittances.

Always reconcile Form 26AS and AIS against your own records before filing. If a figure appears in Form 26AS that you did not declare, the system will flag it automatically and a notice may follow. It is far easier to address discrepancies at the filing stage than after.

For freelancers and self-employed individuals, invoices and bank statements showing business income are also required, along with any advance tax challan receipts.

01

Who needs to file?

Your gross income exceeds Rs. 3 lakhs (new regime) or Rs. 2.5 lakhs (old regime)

You have income from house property, capital gains, or other sources

You have more than one Form 16 (multiple employers during the year)

You've paid taxes abroad and want to claim foreign tax credit

You want a refund for excess TDS that your employer or bank deducted

You have high-value transactions flagged in your Annual Information Statement (AIS)

You need ITR as proof for loans, visas, or tender applications

02

Step-by-step process

1

Gather your documents

Get your Form 16 from your employer, download Form 26AS and AIS from the Income Tax portal, pull your bank statements and interest certificates, and gather details of any investments you made for deductions under Chapter VI-A.

2

Pick the right ITR form

If your income is only from salary and one house property, use ITR-1 (Sahaj). Got capital gains, foreign income, or more than one house property? You need ITR-2. Business income means ITR-3 or ITR-4.

3

Decide between new and old tax regime

Compare your tax liability under both regimes. The new regime has lower slab rates but almost no deductions (except Rs. 75,000 standard deduction for salaried). The old regime lets you claim 80C (Rs. 1.5 lakh), 80D, HRA, and other deductions. Pick whichever results in lower tax.

4

Log in to the e-Filing portal

Visit incometax.gov.in and log in with your PAN. Go to "File Income Tax Return" and select AY 2026-27 for income earned in FY 2025-26.

5

Check pre-filled data and add missing income

Review the pre-filled salary, TDS, and other income data. Fix any errors. Add income from interest, rental, capital gains, or other sources that might not be pre-filled.

6

Enter deductions and compute tax

Under the old regime, enter all your eligible deductions (80C, 80D, HRA, LTA, etc.). The portal calculates your final tax liability or refund automatically after accounting for TDS already paid.

7

Verify and submit

Review the return summary. If you owe tax, pay it via Challan 280 before submitting. Submit and e-verify immediately using Aadhaar OTP, net banking, or DSC. E-verification is mandatory - without it, your return won't be processed.

03

Frequently Asked Questions

For salaried individuals and those not subject to audit, it's 31st July 2026. Miss this? You can still file a belated return until 31st December 2026, but you'll pay a late fee of Rs. 5,000 (Rs. 1,000 if income is under Rs. 5 lakhs). After 31st December, you can only file through a condonation request.

Yes, if your gross income exceeds the exemption limit - even if TDS covered everything and you owe nothing more. Filing a return is also the only way to get a refund if your employer or bank deducted more TDS than necessary.

It depends on how much you're investing. If you have significant deductions under 80C, 80D, HRA, etc., the old regime often works out better. If you don't have many investments or deductions, the new regime's lower slab rates usually win. Run the numbers on a tax calculator before choosing.

You can file a belated return, but you'll pay Rs. 5,000 in late fees (Rs. 1,000 if income is below Rs. 5 lakhs). More importantly, if you have losses you wanted to carry forward, you lose that option when you miss the original deadline.

Form 26AS shows all taxes deducted from your income by employers, banks, and others (TDS), taxes you paid directly (advance tax), and any refunds issued. Before filing, reconcile your income and TDS figures with Form 26AS - mismatches trigger notices from the Income Tax Department.
04

Common mistakes to avoid

  • 01Using ITR-1 when you have capital gains income (you need ITR-2 for that)
  • 02Not reconciling income and TDS with Form 26AS and AIS before submitting
  • 03Forgetting to report interest income from savings accounts, FDs, and post office savings
  • 04Not e-verifying within 30 days - this makes your return invalid
  • 05Missing the deadline and losing the ability to carry forward capital losses
  • 06Claiming deductions under the new tax regime that don't apply anymore
  • 07Not reporting freelance income because it came in cash or without TDS
05

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06

More Questions

Form 26AS is the consolidated tax credit statement showing all TDS deducted against your PAN by employers, banks, and other payers. The income tax department compares what you declare in your ITR against Form 26AS. Any discrepancy can trigger an automated notice.

AIS is a comprehensive statement of all financial transactions linked to your PAN - salary, interest, dividends, securities sales, property transactions, GST turnover, and more. It is more detailed than Form 26AS. Available on the income tax portal under the AIS/TIS section.

Form 16 is the primary document for salaried taxpayers - it contains your salary details, allowances, deductions, and TDS summary. While you can technically file without it using your payslips and Form 26AS, Form 16 makes the process significantly easier and reduces the chance of errors.

For Section 80C: LIC premium receipts, PPF passbook, ELSS mutual fund statements, home loan principal repayment certificate. For Section 80D: health insurance premium receipts. For HRA: rent receipts and landlord PAN (if annual rent exceeds Rs. 1 lakh). For home loan interest: certificate from the bank showing principal and interest split.

For equity shares and mutual funds: contract notes or transaction statements from your broker showing purchase date, cost, sale date, and proceeds. For property: sale deed, purchase deed, and any improvement cost receipts. Stamp duty paid on purchase is part of the cost of acquisition.

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.