Everything about filing ITR online for AY 2025-26 | ITR filing for salaried employees

Income Tax ITR Filing
1

Every year, thousands of people enter the workforce, and with that comes your first experience of filing an Income Tax Return (ITR). It can feel overwhelming. You’re figuring out where to start, what documents to collect, and the tax jargon only make things worse.

So in this post, we’ve put together a simple, step-by-step guide for anyone filing their ITR for the first time.

What exactly is an ITR?

Let’s start with the basics.

The government collects income tax from us when we start earning. It helps fund infrastructure, welfare schemes, and public services we use every day.

Now your ITR, or Income Tax Return, is basically a record of your income, investments, expenses, and taxes paid in a financial year.

Remember, if your gross income crosses the basic exemption limit i.e. ₹3 lakh under the new regime or ₹2.5 lakh under the old one, you must file an ITR. That said, even if your income is below this, filing your return is a great personal finance habit to build early on.

Now, when to file your ITR?

For most individuals, the last date to file your return is 31st July of the assessment year. So if you’ve earned income between 1 Apr 2024 and 31 Mar 2025, the due date will be 31st July 2025.

*However, the ITR filing deadline for this year (i.e. AY 2025-26) has been extended to 15th September 2025.

ITR filing due date for AY 25-26
ITR filing due date for AY 25-26687×296 20.1 KB

Now that the basics are clear, the first step is registering on the income tax portal.

Step 1: Create your account on IT Portal

Here’s how to register:

  1. Visit e-filing portal and click on ‘Register’
  2. Select your user type as “Individual”
  3. Enter your PAN, name (as per PAN), date of birth, and residential status
  4. Add your contact details like address, mobile number, and email
  5. Verify using OTPs sent to your mobile and email
  6. Set your password

Your PAN becomes your login ID. Once you’re in, also make sure to add and verify your bank account — that’s where your tax refund will be credited, if applicable.

The next step is to gather all necessary documents.

Step 2: Keep these documents ready

Filing is much smoother when you have everything in one place. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Personal documents: PAN, Aadhaar
  • Tax documents: Form 26AS, Annual Information Statement (AIS), Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS)
  • Bank statements: Interest statements, details of all bank accounts
  • Income documents: Form 16 (if salaried), capital gains statement, Tax P&L statement, financial statements of business/profession, real-estate sale deed, etc.
  • Deduction/expenses proofs: Rent receipts, home/education loan tax certificate, insurance premium receipts, donation receipts, investment proofs, etc.
  • Tax challans: Challans of advance tax and self-assessment tax, if paid already.

We’ve explained how each of these helps while filing your return in this post.

Now next you need to choose the tax regime that is more beneficial to your income situation.

Step 3: Choose your tax regime

In India, we now have two tax regimes:

  1. New regime: Lower tax rates but most deductions and exemptions are not allowed (also the default regime)
  2. Old regime: Higher tax rates, but you can claim deductions under 80C, HRA, etc.

You’ll need to compare both and choose the one that results in the lowest tax outgo for you.

You can either use the official calculator or refer to this guide we’ve written to help you decide.

Step 4: Pick the right ITR form

This one’s important. The Income Tax Department has defined different ITR forms based on your income type — salary, capital gains, business income, etc.

Choosing the wrong one can lead to notices or even having to file your return again.

We’ve summarised the conditions for each form in this table below.

Which ITR form should I file for AY 25-26?
Which ITR form should I file for AY 25-26?1144×472 150 KB

Or you can check this post to read in detail.

Step 5: Start filing your ITR

Now is the time you actually start filing your ITR. There are many ways you can do it — take help of a known and trusted CA or you can do it yourself if you want complete control over the filing process.

If you’re the latter, you can either you do it directly from the income tax portal or go to online tax platforms like us. You can always contact us and our team will guide you what’s best for you.

Finally, I’m listing down a few basic things you must keep in mind.

Common mistakes to avoid while filing ITR

  1. Not verifying your bank account: Refunds are processed only to verified accounts. So make sure you do it to avoid any delays in refunds.

  2. Not matching your income with AIS & 26AS: Double check your income thoroughly with AIS and Form 26AS, because the government refers to these documents to match your income details in the ITR. If you disagree with any information reported in AIS, you can also submit a feedback on the income tax portal.

  3. Not reporting exempt income: Incomes like PPF interest, agricultural income, or gifts from relatives are tax-free, but still need to be disclosed under Schedule EI in the ITR.

  4. E-verification: Filing isn’t complete until you e-verify your return. Do it within 30 days, or your ITR will be treated as invalid/not filed.

    Here’s how to e-verify your ITR.

You’re now all set to file your very first income tax return. If you’ve made it this far, nice work.

And if you still have questions, feel free to ask them below — we’ll help you out.

1 Like