- Income Tax Department released Excel utilities for ITR-1 and ITR-4 for AY 2026-27
- Taxpayers can file returns offline, create JSON files, and submit via e-filing portal
- ITR-1 is for residents earning up to Rs 50 lakh with salary, pension, and limited income
Taxpayers can begin filing income tax returns for FY 2025-26 (Assessment Year 2026-27) as the Income Tax Department has released the Excel utilities for ITR-1 and ITR-4. The downloadable utilities for AY 2026-27 have been made available on the department's official website.
“Attention taxpayers! The Excel utility and online filing for ITR-1 and ITR-4 for AY 2026-27 has been enabled and is now available for taxpayers on the e-filing portal,” the Income Tax Department posted on X.
With the Income Tax Department releasing the Excel-based utilities, the ITR filing process for AY2026-27 is now officially underway. Users can complete the forms offline, create a JSON file and submit it through the department's e-filing website after verification.
Income Tax Returns, commonly known as ITR, serves as a formal declaration of a taxpayer's income, deductions and payable taxes submitted to the Income Tax Department. Returns must typically be filed by July 31 every year. There are seven ITR forms available at present, and the form applicable depends on the taxpayer's income profile and category.
Resident taxpayers (other than not ordinarily residents) with total earnings of up to Rs 50 lakh can opt for ITR-1, or Sahaj, while filing their returns. The form covers income from salary, pension, two residential properties, interest earnings and limited agricultural income. It is also available to individuals who declare long-term capital gains under Section 112A, up to Rs 1.25 lakh.
The Sugam form, officially known as ITR-4, is available for resident taxpayers, including individuals, HUFs and firms apart from LLPs earning up to Rs 50 lakh annually. It caters to those filing under the presumptive taxation provisions laid out in Sections 44AD, 44ADA and 44AE, and also permits reporting of specified long-term capital gains up to Rs 1.25 lakh under Section 112A.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) had previously announced ITR forms for the Assessment Year 2026-27, introducing a series of revised reporting norms. Among the key changes are fresh disclosure requirements on long-term capital gains, losses arising from share buybacks and select trading activities.
Salaried individuals and small businesses stand to benefit from the early availability of the filing utilities, as it allows them to sort out documents and complete tax return submissions comfortably ahead of the July 31 deadline for non-audit taxpayers.
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