ITR-1 for FY26 is Live: 5 Things You Must Know

The Income Tax Department has released ITR forms for FY2025-26. If you are a salaried person with income under ₹50 lakh, ITR-1 Sahaj is your form. The deadline to file is 31 July 2026 — missing it means penalties and interest on any tax due.

Here's what happened: ITR-1 (Sahaj) and ITR-4 forms for Assessment Year 2026-27 (FY 2025-26) are now officially available for offline preparation via Excel utility on the Income Tax portal.. ITR-1 applies to salaried individuals, pensioners, and those with one house property, with total income up to ₹50 lakh — covering most Indian middle-class taxpayers.. The last date to file ITR for individual taxpayers (without audit) is 31 July 2026; missing this attracts a late fee of up to ₹5,000 under Section 234F plus interest under Section 234A..

What you should do: Download Form 16 from your employer after 15 June 2026 and cross-check it against your Annual Information Statement (AIS) on the Income Tax portal at incometax.gov.in.. Check your AIS and Tax Credit Statement (Form 26AS) right now to spot any mismatches in TDS deducted vs tax credited — fixing errors early avoids a last-minute scramble.. Decide your tax regime (old vs new) before filing — compare your actual tax liability under both using a free calculator, because once you file, switching mid-year is not allowed for salaried taxpayers..

Pro tip: If your total tax liability is zero but you still had TDS deducted, you MUST file ITR to claim your refund — not filing means the government keeps your money permanently.