ITR filing last date for individuals is 15th September, 2025 for FY 2024-25 (AY 2025-26). Missing this deadline can lead to interest charges under Section 234A and a late filing fee up to Rs. 5,000 under Section 234F. However, if you miss the due date, you can still file a belated return until 31st December of the assessment year.ITR Due Date Extension 2025Recently, there has been a fake circular, stating that the income tax due date has been extended to 30th September, 2025. The department has officially responded that the due date remains 15th September, unchanged.

You can file your ITR following these simple steps:Step-1: Login to the Income Tax PortalStep-2: Go to ‘File Income Tax Return’Step-3: Select Assessment yearStep-4: Select 'Filing Status"Step-5: Select ‘ITR Type’Step-6: Select reason for filing the returnStep-7: Validate the detailsStep-8: E-verify the returnAre you Filing the Income Tax Return for any of the Following Reasons? Here's what you Need to DoITR for individuals is mandatory only if their income is above the basic exemption limit. There are also other criteria as follows, fulfilling which ITR filing is mandatory:Expenditure on foreign travel being more than Rs. 2 lakh, orElectricity consumption of Rs. 1 lakh or more, orDeposit above Rs. 1 crore in one or more current accounts orBusiness receipts exceed Rs.

The Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) is a retirement savings scheme by the Government of India, where both the employer and employee contribute monthly. Regular EPF balance checks through EPF passbook, or UAN, help you track employer contributions, interest, withdrawals, and loans while also ensuring financial planning and tax benefits under Section 80C.Key HighlightsQuick & Easy Ways to Check EPF Balance:Give a missed call to 9966044425 from your registered mobile number.Send an SMS with the text “EPFOHO UAN” to 7738299899 from your registered mobile number.Log in to the EPFO Member Portal using your UAN to check your PF balance online.Download the UMANG app & link it with your UAN for a quick EPF passbook balance check on your smartphone.How to Check PF Balance?There are multiple ways to check your PF balance, both with and without UAN. EPF Balance Check Using UANMembers can do their PF balance check with UAN number using the following methods: 1. PF Balance Check through EPF PortalTo check your EPF balance, you must first activate your Universal Account Number (UAN), a unique ID allotted to every employee under the EPF scheme. Once activated, you can access your balance through the following steps:Step 1: Visit the EPF portal and click on the ‘For Employees' section under ‘Services’ at the top of the page.Step 2: Click on ‘Member Passbook’ under the ‘services’ section.Step 3: On the next page, sign in with your UAN, password & Captcha. Step 4: You will receive an OTP on your Aadhaar-linked phone number.Step 5: Enter the OTP and click ‘Verify’. Your PF account balance will be displayed on the screen.2.

The presumptive taxation scheme allows taxpayers with business or professional income to declare their profits as a percentage of turnover. Under Section 44AD, taxpayers with business turnover not exceeding Rs. 2 Cr can report their taxable business income as 8% of their turnover. But if the gross receipts received in cash are less than 5% of the total receipts, then taxpayers with business turnover up to Rs. 3 Cr can disclose taxable income at 6% of their turnover. Under Section 44ADA, taxpayers with professional income can report their taxable income at 50% of their gross receipts, if their gross receipts is within Rs.

ITR-3 and ITR-4 are filed by resident individuals/ HUF/firms (other than LLP) with income from profits or gains of business or profession. However, ITR-4 is filed by those individuals/ HUF/ Firms who opt for the presumptive taxation scheme under section 44AD, 44ADA and 44AE.Key HighlightsIn terms of complexity of disclosures, ITR-4 is far simpler than ITR-3.If tax audit is applicable to you, ITR-3 is the only option. ITR-4 is not applicable for you.Link to download ITR-3 and ITR-4 excel-based utilityITR-3 and ITR-4 DifferenceParticularsITR-3ITR-4EligibilityIndividuals and HUFs whose total income includes income from business or professionResident individuals, HUFs or partnership firms who have opted for presumptive taxation scheme under Section 44AD, 44ADA or 44AE and income is up to Rs. 50 lakhsNature of IncomeAll the income can be included like business income, capital gains, casual income, salary income, etc.,Income from salary, one house property, capital gains under section 112A up to Rs. 1.25 lakh, and other income (excluding casual income)Books of accountsRequired to be maintained if threshold limit crossed u/s 44AA.Not required to be maintained.Audit requirementMandatory if the income or turnober crosses limits specified u/s 44AB.Not required.Number of house propertiesIncome can be from any number of house propertiesIncome should be from one house property onlyComplexitiesComplex form as it contains fields for all heads of income and disclosuresSimpler as it contains fields only for specified income.Due date of filingThe due date for filing ITR-3 for non-audit taxpayers is 15 September 2025.

An income tax refund arises when the tax you have paid to the government is more than your actual tax liability. This excess tax can occur due to higher TDS deductions or advance tax payments during the year.  You can claim the refund while filing your income tax return.Tax refund in India is usually processed through electronic bank transaction. However, refund can be received via cheque as well. Refund status can be checked online on income tax portal or NSDL portal.Key HighlightsFor the ITR season 2025, refund is usually processed within hours of filing, for persons filing under new regime with simple income structure.usually, the refund is credited to your bank account within 4 to 5 weeks of e-verification. In case of ITR refund delay, you can either raise a grievance on the income tax portal or contact income tax helpline.What is Income Tax Refund?An income tax refund is issued by the Income Tax Department when a taxpayer has paid more tax than their actual liability for the financial year.Generally, taxpayers pay their taxes while filing returns after calculating their tax dues under the concept of self-assessment.

An Income Tax Notice is an official communication from the Income Tax Department alerting a taxpayer to discrepancies, missing information, overdue filing, or unreported income. Notice can be issued to the taxpayer irrespective of whether returns are filed or not. Popular Notices issued under the Income Tax ActSection numberNoticeSection 142(1)inquiry before assessmentSection 143(1)IntimationSection 143(2)Notice for scrutiny assessmentSection 148Income Escaping AssessmentSection 245Demand noticeWhat is Income Tax Notice?An income tax notice is an official communication issued by the Income Tax Department to a taxpayer regarding discrepancies, non-compliance, or additional information required related to their Income Tax Return (ITR). Each notice is issued under a specific section of the Income Tax Act and requires timely action to avoid penalties or legal consequences. It may be sent for reasons such as:Non-filing of returns Mismatch in reported income Verification of claimsDemand for outstanding tax. How to Verify or Authenticate Income Tax Notices?Before responding to any notice or order from the Income Tax Department, it is crucial to verify its authenticity. You can check whether the income tax notice is genuine by using the ‘Authenticate Notice/Order’ feature on the Income Tax e-filing portal.

Section 10 contains many exemptions like House Rent Allowance (HRA), Leave Travel Allowance (LTA), interest on provident fund, gratuity, agricultural income, etc. Disclosure of exempt income is mandatory in ITR. It is to be noted that certain exemptions are exclusively available only under the old regime, from the introduction of new tax regime in the year 2020.Popular Section 10 ExemptionsHouse Rent Allowance (HRA) Leave Travel AllowanceAgricultural IncomeInterest on provident fund (on satisfaction of conditions)Retirement settlement amount such as gratuity, leave encashment, pension, etc. (on satisfaction of conditions)What are Section 10 Exemptions of the Income Tax Act?While calculating the tax liability of an individual, there are certain incomes which is exempt and do not form a part of the total income. Section 10 of the Income-tax Act 1961 includes all those exemptions that a taxpayer can claim while paying income tax. From an employee's perspective, the exemptions available under the act can be classified as exempt allowances, and other exempt income.

Form 16 is issued to employees by the company, showing salary paid and TDS on salary. Usually, the companies send form 16 to employees from 16 June of the assessment year.Form 16A, is issued quarterly for TDS on such as interest, rent, or professional fees. It serves as proof of TDS deducted and is required for income tax filing.Key HighlightsForm 16  is issued for salary income whereas Form 16A is issued for all the income other than salary.Both Form 16 and Form 16A contains income details and TDS deducted against the same.  Difference Between Form 16 and Form 16AThis comprehensive table below highlights the most fundamental differences between Form 16 and Form 16A. BasisForm 16Form 16AEligibilityIndividuals with salaryProfessionals and self-employed individualsIssuerThe employerFinancial institutions, tenants, banks, etc.Issued againstsalaried individualsNon-salariedIssuance frequency AnnualQuarterlyApplies toSalary Income Income from Rent, professional charges, commission agents, hired machinery, etc.LawSection 203 of the Income Tax ActSection 203 of the Income Tax ActWhat is Form 16?Form 16 is a TDS certificate issued to the employees by the company.It contains details of the salary paid and the tax deducted at source (TDS) under Section 192 of the Income Tax Act.It is usually issued from 16th June of the next financial year and serves as proof of income and tax paid. Form 16 is a very important document for filing Income Tax Returns (ITR) as it contains key information such as PAN, TAN, salary breakup, deductions claimed, and the total tax deposited with the government.What is Form 16A?Form 16A is a TDS certificate containing details of income other than salary, such as interest, rent, professional fees, or commission, under various sections of the Income Tax Act. It is issued quarterly by the payer and contains details like the deductee PAN, deductor TAN, nature of payment, amount paid, and TDS deducted and deposited with the government. Form 16A is essential for verifying TDS credits and ensuring accurate filing of your Income Tax Return (ITR).ExampleFor example, a Form 16A shall be issued when a bank deducts TDS on your interest income from fixed deposits, for TDS deducted on insurance commission, for TDS deducted on your rent receipts. Form 16A will be issued when TDS is deducted from any other income you receive that is liable for such deduction.What are the Components of Form 16?Form 16 in the Income Tax Act is a certificate, where the employer certifies details regarding the salary you have earned during the year and how much TDS has been deducted.

After filing your Income Tax Return (ITR), verifying the ITR is mandatory for the return to be processed. You can verify your ITR electronically via Income Tax Portal.  Every ITR filed should be E-Verified within 30 days of filing. Key HighlightsThe following options are available to E-Verify ITR:Aadhaar OTPNet BankingDemat AccountBank AccountDSC (Digital Signature Certificate)Ways to E-verify ITRThere are several methods available to e-verify ITR:E-Verify through ClearTaxGenerate Aadhaar OTPExisting Aadhaar OTPExisting EVCDigital Signature Certificate (DSC)Generate EVC through a bank accountGenerate EVC through the Net BankingGenerate EVC through DEMAT accountGenerate EVC through the bank ATM option (offline)E-Verify through ClearTaxStep 1: After submitting your return through ClearTax website, you can click on the 'E-verify Now' and complete the verification instantly. However, if you missed e-verifying at the time of return filing, please refer to the next step.Step 2: Log in to your account on ClearTax and navigate to ‘My Tax Returns’ option.Step 3: You have two options for completing the e-verification: either through OTP received on your Aadhaar registered mobile number or through the Bank EVC. Just select your preferred option and enter the OTP or the Bank EVC on the next screen. Step 4:  Once you enter the OTP and press verify OTP.