ITR Filing Update: Income tax return filing started, ITR-1 and ITR-4 forms released. Itr Filing For Ay 2026 27 Begins As Income Tax Dept Releases Itr 1 And Itr 4 Utilities

There is an important update for those who file income tax returns every year. According to the Income Tax Department, the process of filing income tax returns for the financial year 2025-26 (assessment year 2026-27) has officially started. The department said on social media that Excel utility of ITR-1 and ITR-4 has been enabled on the e-filing portal.

The purpose of this step of the Income Tax Department is to save taxpayers from last-minute rush. Starting now, taxpayers can easily fill their forms before the deadline of July 31, 2026. The Income Tax Department says that eligible taxpayers can download the necessary forms from the official website. The department said that online filing and an Excel utility is also available for AY 2026-27.

Taxpayers can prepare an Excel document offline as per their convenience and submit it on the portal. This method is very beneficial for those who want to file returns after matching their income, investment and tax deduction data. In this way the scope for mistakes also reduces.

Who can file ITR-1 ‘Sahaj’?

Income tax return forms depend on the source and category of your income. ITR-1, also known as ‘Sahaj’, is for those whose annual income is less than Rs 50 lakh. This includes salary, pension, rent income and interest income. People who earn from farming or who have made long-term capital gains up to Rs 1.25 lakh under Section 112A can also fill it.

Who can file ITR-4 ‘Sugam’?

ITR-4, also known as ‘Sugam’ form, is for Hindu undivided families (HUFs) and businesses (except LLPs) with annual turnover up to Rs 50 lakh. This form is only for those who use sections 44AD, 44ADA, and 44AE of the presumptive tax scheme. The department has instructed taxpayers to thoroughly match the information given on the portal with all their income documents before submitting the form.