ITR Filing 2026: Who Can File ITR-1, ITR-2 and ITR-4? Check New Updates and Due Dates

The Income Tax Department has launched the online filing features and Excel utilities for Income Tax Return (ITR) forms 1, 2, and 4 for the Assessment Year (AY) 2026-27 on its e-filing portal. Taxpayers can now officially begin filing their returns for the financial year ending March 31, 2026. The department has opted for a phased rollout strategy this year, making ITR-1 and ITR-4 available first on May 15, followed by the activation of ITR-2 on May 27. Currently, utilities for ITR-3 remain unreleased.

Understanding the Forms: Who Files What?

Choosing the correct tax form is essential to ensure compliance and avoid processing delays. The three currently active forms target distinct categories of taxpayers based on their income sources and earning thresholds.

ITR-1 (Sahaj): This simplified form is designed for resident individuals with an annual income up to INR 50 lakh. Eligible income streams include salaries or pensions, a single house property, other sources like bank interest, and agricultural income up to INR 5,000 per year. It also allows individuals to report long-term capital gains (LTCG) up to INR 1.25 lakh annually. ITR-2 Filing Enabled for AY 2026–27: Who Must File, Common Mistakes To Avoid and Why Early Filing Matters.

ITR-2: This form applies to individuals and Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) who do not have any income from a business or profession. It is used by taxpayers who earn from salaries, multiple house properties, or capital gains from selling assets like property or shares.

ITR-4 (Sugam): This form caters to individuals, HUFs, and firms (excluding Limited Liability Partnerships) that have a total annual income of up to INR 50 lakh and earn from a business or profession. However, individuals are barred from using ITR-4 if they hold unlisted equity shares, serve as a company director, possess foreign assets, or carry forward losses under any income head. ITR Filing 2026: Which Income Tax Return Form Should Salaried Taxpayers and Freelancers Choose?

Key Deadlines and What's New

The department is introducing a distinct change by deploying the tax forms incrementally rather than releasing the entire suite at once. Both the web-based online filing system and the offline Excel utilities are currently accessible in the "Downloads" section of the e-filing website.

Taxpayers must also track varying timelines depending on the form they utilize. The deadline for individual salaried taxpayers filing under ITR-1 and ITR-2 is July 31. Conversely, non-audit taxpayers submitting business returns under ITR-4 have until August 31 to file their returns.