ITR-1 for AY 2026-27: 5 Mistakes Costing You

If you earn a salary up to ₹50 lakh, ITR-1 is your form. File by July 31, 2026 or pay penalties. Wrong Aadhaar or missing bank details are the most common — and costly — mistakes Indians make.

Here's what happened: ITR-1 (Sahaj) applies to resident individuals earning up to ₹50 lakh from salary, one house property, and other basic sources like interest income.. The deadline to file ITR-1 for Assessment Year 2026-27 (FY 2024-25) is July 31, 2026 — missing it triggers a late fee of up to ₹5,000 under Section 234F.. Common filing errors include entering Aadhaar enrolment IDs instead of the verified 12-digit Aadhaar number, and not reporting all bank accounts and outstanding loans accurately..

What you should do: Check eligibility now — if you have income from business, capital gains, or more than one house property, you cannot use ITR-1 and must switch to ITR-2 or ITR-3.. Verify your Aadhaar is linked and active on the Income Tax e-filing portal before you start — an unlinked or incorrect Aadhaar will get your return rejected outright.. Gather Form 16 from your employer, all bank interest certificates (savings + FDs), and details of any home loan — these three documents cover 90% of ITR-1 filers' needs..

Pre-filled ITR-1 on the Income Tax portal now auto-imports salary and TDS data — always cross-check it against your Form 16, as employer-reported figures occasionally differ.