With the start of the new financial year on April 1, the government has released all Income Tax Return (ITR) forms for Assessment Year (AY) 2026–27. This marks the beginning of the new tax filing season, and taxpayers can start filing their returns this month.
The Income Tax Department has already notified key forms such as ITR-1 (Sahaj), ITR-2, ITR-4 (Sugam), and ITR-6. Soon, filing utilities will also be introduced—first in offline mode
and then online—to make the process easier. Since the forms are now available, these utilities are expected to be launched shortly.
When Should You File Your ITR?
According to a News18 report, an income tax expert (who did not wish to be named) said that ITR filing usually begins in April. Last year, filing was delayed due to major changes in tax rules related to LTCG, STCG, and indexation.
However, this year, since the forms have already been released, filing is expected to begin on time.
That said, salaried individuals are advised to wait until they receive their Form 16 before filing their returns for AY 2026–27, as it contains important income and tax details.
Important Rules to Remember
Even though the new Income Tax Act, 2025 came into effect on April 1, it replaced the old 1961 Act only for future income. Since you are filing returns for income earned in the financial year 2025–26, the rules of the Income Tax Act, 1961 will still apply.
The new 2025 Act will be applicable only to income earned after April 1, 2026. Also, taxpayers will continue to see familiar terms like ‘Previous Year’ and ‘Assessment Year’, which have been used for many years. The proposed term ‘Tax Year’ will not be used for this return.
