This year’s tax filing season has already brought a few surprises. From numerous changes in ITR forms to now the filing deadline getting extended to 15 September 2025.
And naturally, with new ITR forms come new questions, like “which ITR form should you file this year?”
For starters, there are 7 ITR forms in total. But as individuals, we only need to care about ITR-1 to ITR-4. And the Income Tax Department has clearly defined which form applies to whom, based on your income sources and income level.
By the end of this post, I will help you figure out which ITR form is applicable for you. We’ll keep it short and simple.
Which ITR form should you file in AY 2025-26?
Broadly speaking, ITR-1 (also called Sahaj) and ITR-4 (Sugam) are designed for small taxpayers with straightforward income, mostly salary and a few other basic sources like interest. Also, this year onwards, you can include long-term capital gains taxable u/s 112A up to ₹1.25 lakh in ITR-1 and ITR-4.
In both cases, your total income should be below ₹50 lakh.
The key difference is that ITR-4 also covers people who have opted for presumptive income from business or profession. So if you’re a freelancer, shopkeeper, small trader or running a one-person consulting gig under the presumptive scheme, ITR-4 might apply to you.
In case you want to understand how presumptive taxation works, you can refer to this post or watch the below video.
Now let’s say your total income exceeds ₹50 lakh, or you’ve made gains from selling capital assets like property, stocks, crypto or gold — then ITR-2 is the form for you. Most importantly, ITR-2 is only for individuals who do not have income from business or profession.
And finally, we have ITR-3, the most comprehensive of them all. Specifically, it applies to those who’re earning from business or profession, you know freelancers, consultants, content creators, doctors, or cafe owners. ITR-3 also covers all other incomes and lets you declare — salary, business income, capital gains, and house property income — all in one place.
Note: HUFs and NRIs aren’t eligible for ITR-1. Further, NRIs are not allowed to opt for presumptive scheme, so they can’t file ITR-4 as well.
There are more conditions attached to each form, and I’ve tried to list them all in this table, so you can refer to it anytime.
Plus, since a lot of us here are active investors or traders, I’ve also made a separate cheat sheet for those earning from the stock market. Just match your income combination with the one in the table, and you’ll know exactly which ITR form you need to file.
That’s all for this post. I hope this clears up the confusion around ITR forms for this year.
Also, here’s a video on complete guide to ITR filing, especially if you’re filing for the first time.
If you’re still unsure or have a more specific case, feel free to drop your questions below.
