How to File Your Income Tax Return (ITR) — Simple Steps

Filing your Income Tax Return (ITR) sounds scary, but for most people it's a short, once-a-year job. This 2026 guide explains who must file, which ITR form to use, what documents to keep ready and the exact steps on the government portal — plus how we can do the whole thing for you.

Who must file an ITR

You generally need to file an ITR if any of these apply to you:

• Your total income (before deductions) is above the basic exemption limit for the year.
• You want to claim a refund of TDS or advance tax already paid.
• You have business or professional income, capital gains, or foreign income/assets.
• You meet certain conditions — for example large bank deposits, high electricity bills, or foreign travel spends.

Even when it isn't mandatory, filing helps for loans, visas and keeping a clean financial record. Exact limits change each year, so confirm the current threshold on incometax.gov.in.

Which ITR form should you use?

Choosing the right form matters. Here are the common ones:

• ITR-1 (Sahaj): for most salaried people — salary, one house property and interest income, up to the prescribed limit.
• ITR-2: for those with capital gains, more than one house, or foreign income/assets (no business income).
• ITR-3: for individuals and HUFs with income from business or profession.
• ITR-4 (Sugam): for presumptive income from a small business or profession under sections 44AD/44ADA/44AE.

Documents you need

• PAN and Aadhaar (linked with each other)
• Form 16 from your employer (for salaried people)
• Bank account details and interest statements
• Investment / deduction proofs — LIC, PPF, ELSS, home-loan interest, 80C/80D, etc.
• Form 26AS / AIS to match TDS and other reported income
• For business: books, invoices, and details of income & expenses

Steps to file on incometax.gov.in

1. Log in. Go to incometax.gov.in and sign in using your PAN as the user ID.
2. Start filing. Open e-File → Income Tax Returns → File Income Tax Return and pick the correct assessment year.
3. Choose your ITR form. Select ITR-1 to ITR-4 based on your income type.
4. Check pre-filled data. Review the pre-filled salary, TDS and bank details, and add anything missing.
5. Pay any tax due & submit. Clear any balance tax, then submit the return.
6. E-verify. Verify within the allowed time using Aadhaar OTP, net banking or EVC — filing isn't complete until you verify.

Deadlines & late-fee warning

For most individuals, the usual due date is 31 July after the financial year ends (dates can be extended by the department). Miss it and you may face:

• A late-filing fee under section 234F.
• Interest on any unpaid tax under section 234A.
• Loss of the ability to carry forward certain losses.

Always check the current deadline on the official portal, as due dates can change each year.

Tip: Don't wait for the last week. The portal gets slow near the deadline. File early, e-verify the same day, and save the ITR-V acknowledgement in a safe folder.

Prefer help? We do ITR for you

If you'd rather not juggle forms, deductions and deadlines, Sahayak Seva files ITR for salaried employees, small businesses and professionals across Patiala, Nabha, Rajpura, Samana and all India. Send us your Form 16 or income details on WhatsApp and we'll pick the correct form, maximise your eligible deductions and file it correctly.