ITR Filing AY 2026–27: Income Tax Department Enables ITR-2 Excel Utility; Check Forms, Deadlines and Key Details

The Income Tax Department has enabled the Excel Utility for ITR-2 on its official e-filing portal for Assessment Year 2026-27 (AY27), corresponding to Financial Year 2025-26 (FY26). The update was announced through the department’s official X account, formerly Twitter.

This comes shortly after the release of Excel utilities for ITR-1 (Sahaj) and ITR-4 (Sugam) earlier this month on May 17.

ITR-2 Excel Utility Now Available Online

In its official post, the Income Tax Department said:

“Kind Attention Taxpayers! Online filing and Excel Utility for ITR-2 for A.Y. 2026–27 is now enabled on the e-Filing portal.” ITR Filing 2026: Which Income Tax Return Form Should Salaried Taxpayers and Freelancers Choose?

Eligible taxpayers can now download the ITR forms, fill in the required details offline, generate a JSON file, and upload it to the e-filing portal after verification.

The department has already notified all ITR forms for AY 2026-27, allowing taxpayers to begin preparing returns in advance.

Where to Download ITR Forms

Taxpayers can download the latest ITR forms and utilities from the official Income Tax e-filing portal. ITR Filing 2026: How You Can Download Form 26AS Through Your Bank Website Without Logging Into Income Tax Portal.

Users need to log in using their PAN or Aadhaar-linked credentials. First-time users must complete registration before filing returns.

Which ITR Form Should You Choose?

Choosing the correct ITR form is important to avoid notices or processing delays.

ITR-1 (Sahaj)

For resident individuals earning up to ₹50 lakh annually through salary, one house property, and other sources.

ITR-2

Applicable to individuals and Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) not eligible for ITR-1 and not having business income.

ITR-3

For individuals and HUFs earning income from business or profession requiring detailed books of accounts.

ITR-4 (Sugam)

For resident individuals, HUFs, and firms with presumptive business income under Sections 44AD, 44ADA, or 44AE.

ITR-5

Used by LLPs, firms, AOPs, BOIs, and other entities.

ITR Filing Deadline for AY 2026-27

The deadline for individual taxpayers to file income tax returns for AY 2026-27 is July 31, 2026.

For taxpayers filing ITR-3 and ITR-4, the deadline is August 31, 2026.

Belated returns can still be filed until December 31, 2026.

Why Salaried Taxpayers Should Wait Till June 15

Experts advise salaried taxpayers to wait until at least June 15 before filing returns.

This helps ensure that Form 16, Form 16A, Form 26AS, and the Annual Information Statement (AIS) are fully updated by employers, banks, mutual funds, and brokers.

Filing returns too early could lead to mismatches in income or TDS details, which may trigger notices from the Income Tax Department or delay refunds.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 27, 2026 09:55 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).