I know many of you are wondering when you can start filing your income tax return. Here’s what you need to know.
The tax filing season officially begins only when the e-filing utilities are released by the Income Tax Department.
For some context, every year, the CBDT first notifies the ITR forms, and only after that does the Income Tax Department release the utilities–the digital tools most chartered accountants and tax professionals use to file returns. For those filing on their own, Quicko auto-selects your ITR form and pre-fills data from the Income Tax Department, so you’re not starting from scratch once filing goes live.
Now, the ITR forms for AY 2026–27 have been notified, but the utilities aren’t live yet. That means: you can’t start filing just yet.
Even after the utilities go live, it’s a good idea to wait a bit and ensure everything’s functioning as expected.
That’s because the key documents required for ITR filing, like:
- AIS (Annual Information Statement)
- TIS (Taxpayer Information Summary)
- Form 26AS,
are updated with data from banks, RTAs, employers, and other financial entities. Most of them file their data by early June. For instance, the deadline to file Q4 (Jan–Mar) TDS returns is 31 May, so we suggest starting your filing around 10th June.
Also, if you’re a salaried taxpayer, you’ll also need to wait for Form 16, which employers issue by 15 June.
So realistically, mid-June is when everything falls into place.
It’s best not to rush and file before that, as it may lead to:
- Missing TDS credits
- Mismatches with AIS or 26AS
- Having to revise your return later
If you haven’t paid your self-assessment tax yet, here’s a simple guide on: How to e-Pay Tax on the New Income Tax Portal?
Choosing the right ITR form
Once you’re ready to file, the next step is choosing the right ITR form. You can use the Know Your ITR Form calculator below to help you pick the right one.
Lastly, there are a few major updates in ITR Forms for AY 2026-27. For instance, the ITR-1 (Sahaj) form now allows you to report income from up to two house properties. So, if you’re a salaried individual or pensioner with two properties, you no longer need to switch to the more detailed ITR-2.
We’ve also covered the key updates for filing ITR-2 and ITR-3 in detail here.
If you have any questions about filing this year, drop them below–we’ll help you out.