Filing Your ITR in India: Deadlines, Form 16 and TDS Refunds
Published 8 October 2026 · 2 min read · Written and reviewed by the TaxSaathi Editorial Team
Most salaried individuals in India file their income tax return once a year on the Income Tax Department's e-filing portal. For individuals whose accounts are not subject to audit, the usual due date is 31 July following the end of the financial year, although the government sometimes extends it. Filing on time preserves your right to carry forward certain losses and avoids late fees.
Start with Form 16, the certificate your employer issues by mid-June. Part A shows the TDS deposited against your PAN, and Part B shows how your salary, exemptions and deductions were computed. Then cross-check it against Form 26AS and the Annual Information Statement (AIS) on the portal, which list TDS, interest, dividends, securities transactions and high-value spending reported by banks and other entities.
Choosing the right form matters. ITR-1 (Sahaj) suits resident individuals with salary, one house property and other income such as interest, within the prescribed income limit. Those with capital gains, more than one property or foreign assets typically need ITR-2, while business and professional income requires ITR-3 or the presumptive ITR-4.
If you file after the due date, a late fee of up to ₹5,000 applies, reduced to ₹1,000 if total income is below ₹5 lakh. Interest under Section 234A also runs on any unpaid tax. A belated return can usually be filed until 31 December of the assessment year.
Refunds arise when TDS exceeds your actual liability — for example, if you claimed the old regime in your return after your employer deducted tax under the new regime, or if you had deductions you did not declare at work. Refunds are credited to a pre-validated bank account, so make sure yours is validated on the portal.
After submitting, e-verify the return within 30 days using Aadhaar OTP, net banking or another approved method. An unverified return is treated as not filed. Keep the acknowledgement and your working papers for future reference.
Before filing, run your figures through the TaxSaathi India Income Tax Calculator to see what to expect, then confirm on the official portal.
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About the TaxSaathi Editorial Team
Our guides are written in-house and revised whenever the rules change. For Pakistan, we use the Income Tax Ordinance, Finance Act, FBR, PTA and SECP publications. For the United States, we use IRS and US Treasury releases, Social Security Administration figures and the relevant state revenue agency. For India, our references include the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Income Tax Department circulars and notifications, and the official income-tax e-Filing portal. See the official links on our Tax Resources page. Our articles are general guidance, not personal tax advice; see our disclaimer. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
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