An Income Tax Return (ITR) is a legal form through which taxpayers report their income, expenses, tax deductions, investments, and tax liabilities to the Income Tax Department of India. As per the Income-tax Act, 1961, it is mandatory to file an ITR under certain conditions, such as when your income exceeds the basic exemption limit or if you meet other specified criteria.
E-filing of Income Tax Return refers to the online submission of ITR through the official Income Tax Department portal. Using PAN-based login credentials, individuals can access the updated Income Tax e-filing portal, which offers a user-friendly interface and a wide range of tools to make the ITR filing process faster, easier, and more accurate.
Log on to incometax.gov.in with credentials.
Click on the 'e-File' tab > 'Income Tax Returns' > ‘File Income Tax Return’
Select ‘Assessment Year’ as ‘AY 2025-26’ if you file for FY 2024-25.
Select the filing type correctly as original return or revised return.
Select your applicable filing status: Individual, HUF, or Others.
For filing of natural persons, select 'Individual' and 'Continue'.
The taxpayer must first ascertain which ITR form they must fill out before filing returns.
There are a total of 7 ITR forms available, of which ITR 1 to 4 is applicable for Individuals and HUFs.
For example, individuals and HUFs without income from business or profession but with capital gains can use ITR 2.
In the following step, you will be prompted to specify the reason for filing your returns. Select the appropriate option that is applicable to your situation:
Taxable income is more than the basic exemption limit
Meets specific criteria and is mandatorily required to file ITR
Others
Most of the personal details, such as your PAN, Aadhaar, Name, Date of birth, contact information, and bank details will be pre-filled. Validate these details carefully before you proceed further.
Also, provide your bank account information. If you have already provided these details, ensure they are pre-validated.
As you proceed step by step, ensure to disclose all relevant income, exemptions, and deduction details.
Most of your information will be pre-filled based on the data provided by your employer, bank, etc. Review the information carefully to ensure it is correct.
Confirm the summary of your returns, validate the details and make the payment of balance taxes, if any.
The last and crucial step is to verify your return within the time limit (30 days). Failing to verify your return is equivalent to not filing it at all.
You have the option to e-verify your return using different methods such as Aadhaar OTP, electronic verification code (EVC), Net Banking, or by sending a physical copy of ITR-V to CPC, Bengaluru.
ITR for individuals is mandatory only if their income is above basic exemption limit.
There are also other criteria, satisfaction of which ITR filing is mandatory.
Expenditure on foreign travel being more than Rs. 2 lakh (or)
Electricity consumption of Rs.1 lakh or more (or)
Deposit above Rs.1 crore in one or more current accounts (or)
Business receipts exceed Rs.60 lakhs (or)
Professional receipts exceed Rs.10 lakhs (or)
TDS and TCS amount exceeds Rs.25,000 (or)
In the case of a resident whose asset is located outside India or who has signing authority for an account-based account outside India, ITR filing becomes mandatory.
It is always a good idea to file your ITR even if you are not eligible due to the benefits.
Filing of ITR creates a valid proof of income or net worth
ITR is required for applying for any loan in the future
ITR is required by banks even for applying credit cards
ITR is required for VISA applications, etc.
ITR is required for obtaining Term insurance
ITR is required for obtaining government tenders
Hence it is advisable to file ITR even if your income is below the basic exemption limit.
The following documents/information are required for e-filing their ITR:
PAN and Aadhaar
Bank Statements
Form 16
Donation receipts
Capital gain statements from the broker
Insurance policy paid receipts related to life and health
Bank account information linked to PAN
Aadhaar registered mobile number for e-verifying the return
Interest certificates from banks
However, you can e-file your ITR on TaxSuchi by just providing your PAN and login credentials. We will auto-fill most of your details, like salary income, TDS, deduction details, etc, from the Income Tax Department.
Step 1: Log on to incometax.gov.in with credentials
Step 2: Click on View Returns/ Forms
Step 3: Selection an option as “Income tax returns” and the relevant assessment year and click on submit
Step 4: A window displaying a list of ITR filed will open.
Step 5: Click on ITR-V acknowledgement number you want to download
Step 6: ITR V PDF file will open which can be downloaded.