The Income Tax Department has officially opened the e-filing portal for ITR-1 (Sahaj) and ITR-4 (Sugam) for Assessment Year (AY) 2025-26. This means you can now file your tax returns for income earned between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025.
Choose Your Filing Method
The Department is making filing easier than ever with two convenient options:
- Online Mode with Prefilled Data: Head to the e-filing portal (incometax.gov.in). Much of your information, like salary details and tax deductions, will be pre-filled from sources like Form 26AS and the Annual Information Statement (AIS). This can save you a lot of time and help prevent errors.
- Excel Utilities: If you prefer working offline, you can download the Excel Utilities for ITR-1 and ITR-4. Fill in your details, validate everything, and then generate a JSON file to upload directly to the portal.
Who Can File These Forms?
- ITR-1 (Sahaj): This form is for resident individuals with a total income up to ₹50 lakh. Your income should primarily come from salary, one house property, family pension, agricultural income (up to ₹5000), or other sources like interest.
- ITR-4 (Sugam): This form is for Resident Individuals, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), and Firms (excluding LLPs) with a total income up to ₹50 lakh who opt for the presumptive taxation scheme under Sections 44AD, 44ADA, or 44AE.
What’s New?
For AY 2025-26, both ITR-1 and ITR-4 now allow you to report exempt long-term capital gains (LTCG) under Section 112A up to ₹1.25 lakh. This change might simplify filing for some taxpayers who previously had to use more complex forms.
Important Dates and Tips
The due date for non-audit taxpayers to file ITRs for AY 2025-26 has been extended to September 15, 2025. This gives you a bit more breathing room due to the recent form changes.
While filing has begun, many salaried individuals might want to hold off until mid-June or early July. This is because Form 16 (your TDS certificate from your employer) is usually issued by then, and it takes some time for all your TDS credits to accurately reflect in your Form 26AS and AIS/TIS. Waiting ensures all your income and tax details are perfectly updated for a smooth and accurate filing process.