ITR filing 2026: Income tax department releases ITR-7 excel utility for AY 2026-27

The Income Tax Department has enabled online filing of ITR-5 for Assessment Year 2026-27 on the e-filing portal, allowing eligible taxpayers to file their returns digitally.

"Kind Attention Taxpayers! The Excel Utility for ITR-7 for Assessment Year 2026–27 is now available on the Income Tax e-Filing portal," the income tax department posted on the social media platform X.

Who should file ITR-7?

ITR-7 is meant for specific entities that are required to file their income tax returns under certain provisions of the Income Tax Act. It applies to:

• Political parties that are required to file a return under Section 139(4B) if their total income, before claiming the exemptions available under the Act, exceeds the basic tax exemption limit.

• Specified institutions covered under Section 139(4C) that claim exemption under Section 10 of the Income Tax Act.

• Colleges, universities and scientific research institutions covered under Section 35(1) that are required to file a return under Section 139(4D).

Most major ITR forms are available for online filing

Before enabling online filing for ITR-7, the Income Tax Department had already activated the e-filing facility for ITR-5, ITR-1, ITR-2, ITR-3 and ITR-4 in phases. Excel utilities for ITR-1 and ITR-4 were released on May 15, followed by online filing for ITR-2 on May 27. The department enabled both the online filing facility and the Excel utility for ITR-3 on June 19. With ITR-5 now available, more taxpayer categories can file their income tax returns online for Assessment Year 2026-27.

With July 31 marking the first major deadline for ITR filing in AY 2026-27, taxpayers should ensure they have the required documents and choose the correct ITR form before filing.