ITR filing last date countdown for AY 2026-27: 6 days left, 6 points you should know on July 25

In the lead-up to the last date of ITR filing for AY 2026-27 using ITR-1 and ITR-2, this article lists six points that taxpayers should know.

Only taxpayers eligible to file ITR-1 and ITR-2 have to file their returns by July 31.

The following types of assessees requiring to file ITR-3, 4 and 6 are not required to submit their ITRs by July 31:

• Taxpayers having income from business and profession but not requiring audit (the deadline for them is August 31, 2026)

• Corporate assessees

• Non-corporate assessee, having income from business or profession and whose books of account are required to be audited

• Working partner of a firm whose accounts are required to be audited

• An assessee who is required to furnish a report under section 92E.

As per data on the Income Tax Department's e-filing portal, over 3.68 crore ITRs for AY 2026-27 have been filed till July 24. Of these, 3.47 crore returns have been verified by the taxpayers while the Income Tax Department has processed 2.26 crore returns.

Taxpayers are required to file their returns for AY 2026-27 as per the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961. While Income-tax Act, 2025 has come into force with effect from April 1, 2026, it applies only to Tax Year 2026-27 and subsequent tax years.

The return for AY 2026-27 relates to the Financial Year 2025-26, which ended on March 31, 2026, when the Income-tax Act, 1961 was in force. Therefore, the calculation of income tax liability and filing of return will be as per the 1961 Act.

If you are a salaried employee, pensioner or an investor, you must file your return by July 31. The August 31 deadline is available only to taxpayers having income from business or profession in non-audit cases, and to partners of non-audit firms. Accordingly, salaried persons, pensioners, investors, and other taxpayers filing returns without business or professional income must file returns by July 31.

As the Income-tax Act 2025 replaced the Income-tax Act 1961 from April 1, 2026, many taxpayers may think they would have to file double ITRs. But this is not the case. Taxpayers are not required to furnish two ITRs. As said above, you have to file a single ITR for AY 2026-26, for income earned in FY 2025-26, under the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961.