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Individuals, except senior citizens, have to mandatorily file the ITR through the online mode which is also known as electronic filing, i.e. e-filing of the income tax return.
An income tax return is a form that a person is required to submit to the Income Tax Department. It contains information related to individual’s income and taxes paid, starting from 1st April to 31st March of the financial year. There are seven ITR forms prescribed by the Income Tax Department according to the amount of income, income source and the category to which the taxpayer belongs.
E-filing of the income tax return can be done through Clear’s e-filing utility in a smooth and simple manner. Clear is a government-authorised portal to carry out e-filing of the returns and hence 100% authenticity and security is maintained.
You can file your income tax returns online, either on the income tax department’s website or with us at www.cleartax.in. Income Tax filing or e-filling is made easy on Cleartax. You can e-file your returns in just 3 minutes without any manual effort. Also, note that the due date to e-file your income tax returns for the assessment year 2025-26 is on or before 15th September 2025.
Yes, deducting TDS and filing a tax return are two separate legal compliances. Income tax should be paid on your taxable income as per the provisions of the Income Tax Act. Whereas, you file a tax return to show that you’ve paid all the tax you needed to pay. The income tax return is also a very useful document when it comes to applying for a loan or visa.
There are seven forms - ITR 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 notified by the government for different categories of taxpayers. ITR-1 to ITR-4 applies to individuals and HUFs. They can choose the appropriate ITR form based on the income earned and source of income. ITR-5 applies to partnership firms, LLPs, AOP (Association of Persons), BoI (Body of Individuals), Artificial Juridical Person (AJP), Estate of deceased, Estate of insolvent, Business trust and investment fund. All the companies should file ITR-6. It does not apply to companies claiming exemption from income from property held for charitable or religious purposes. Such companies should file ITR-7. If you are e-filing with ClearTax, we automatically decide on the correct income tax return form.
You can still file your tax return on ClearTax without a Form 16. You’re just going to need your payslips and also check Form 26AS/AIS to ensure all the income reflected in 26AS/AIS is accurate and is reflected in your ITR. Follow the instructions on this guide to e-file without Form 16.
ITR-V is a 1-page document that you receive after e-filing your income tax return and where e-verification is pending. You can verify your income tax return through offline or online mode. There are various methods of online verification. However, to verify your return offline, you must print, sign and send the ITR-V to the Income Tax Department within 120 days from e-filing your tax return.
ITR return forms are attachment-less forms and, hence, the taxpayer is not required to attach any document (like proof of investment, TDS certificates, etc.) along with the return of income (whether filed manually or filed electronically). However, these documents should be retained by the taxpayer and should be produced before the tax authorities when demanded in situations like assessment, inquiry, etc.
You can file ITR 1 if the agricultural income is up to Rs 5,000. For agricultural income exceeding Rs 5,000, you have to file ITR 2. To know about ITR 2 .Click here.
You can claim a refund of the excess tax paid by filing your Income-tax return. It will be refunded to you by crediting it to your bank account through ECS transfer. It is important to pre-validate your bank account details before filing your income tax return.
You must file your return before the due date, if you have sustained a loss in the financial year and if you want to carry forward it to the subsequent year for adjustment against the subsequent year’s income. Loss can be carried forward only if you have filed the return claiming such loss before the due date.(except in case of house property loss and unabsorbed depreciation)
It is always advisable to file ITR even if the person is not mandatorily required to file the ITR according to the Income Tax Act. This is because the ITR return serves as a proof of income statement for various purposes like loan approval, VISA applications, credit card applications, claim income tax refunds and set off and carry forward of losses, etc.
You can seek the help of chartered accountants and agencies dedicated to ITR filing. It is wiser not to allow anyone to have your PAN and password in order to prevent any kind of fraud. Also, you can always take assistance from CA to file IT returns. With ClearTax you can get a Tax Expert to calculate your taxes and e-file your tax return. It is a totally safe and secured platform. See return filing plans here.
Income Tax Act levies penalties for late filing of income tax returns. Under Section 234F, a maximum late fee of Rs 5000 is applicable for filing ITR after due dates.
However, there is a relief given to small taxpayers, if the total income does not exceed Rs 5 lakh, the maximum penalty levied for delay will be Rs 1000.
Interest penalty on outstanding tax liability
Under Section 234A of the Income Tax Act, a taxpayer with outstanding tax liability will have to pay monthly interest of 1% on the outstanding tax payable till the belated ITR is filed.
Yes, ITR-1 and ITR 4 are simplified returns and can be easily filled with some basic knowledge. Also, if you are a salaried employee, then you can directly upload your Form 16 and all the details will get auto-populated in Clear’s (previously ClearTax) e-filing utility. This will make your ITR filing process very smooth and simplified. For more complex ITRs like ITR 2 or 3, it is better to gain some knowledge or go for expert advice.
As you already know, PAN and Aadhaar are the most basic and essential documents to file an ITR.
Let’s look at the other documents you need to file your ITR.
While many tax saving deductions are not available under the new regime, taxpayers can still claim some of them. For example, employer's contribution to National Pension System (NPS under section 80CCD(2), interest paid on home loan of a let out property under section 24, and contribution to Agniveer Scheme under section 80CCH (only for defence personnels opting for agnipath scheme).
It is advised to ascertain the income at the beginning of the financial year and start making tax saving investments accordingly. While this practice helps you to minimize your tax liability, you can always claim standard deduction on salary and rebate(when your income is up to specified limits) irrespective of you have made the expense or investment.
While there are certain deductions applicable only in very niche cases, the above said deductions can be claimed by all resident individuals.
The last date for filing ITR for taxpayers not required to audit is extended to 15th September, 2025.
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Efiling Income Tax Returns(ITR) is made easy with Clear platform. Just upload your form 16, claim your deductions and get your acknowledgment number online. You can efile income tax return on your income from salary, house property, capital gains, business & profession and income from other sources. Further you can also file TDS returns, generate Form-16, use our Tax Calculator software, claim HRA, check refund status and generate rent receipts for Income Tax Filing.
CAs, experts and businesses can get GST ready with Clear GST software & certification course. Our GST Software helps CAs, tax experts & business to manage returns & invoices in an easy manner. Our Goods & Services Tax course includes tutorial videos, guides and expert assistance to help you in mastering Goods and Services Tax. Clear can also help you in getting your business registered for Goods & Services Tax Law.
Save taxes with Clear by investing in tax saving mutual funds (ELSS) online. Our experts suggest the best funds and you can get high returns by investing directly or through SIP. Download Black by ClearTax App to file returns from your mobile phone.
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