How to File Your Income Tax Return (Salaried)

For most salaried individuals, filing an income-tax return is straightforward once your documents reconcile. The key decisions are which ITR form applies, whether the new tax regime (now the default) or the old regime saves you more, and making sure the TDS in your Form 16 matches the AIS and Form 26AS. Filing on time preserves your ability to carry losses forward and avoids late fees under Section 234F.

1. 1

   Collect Form 16, AIS and Form 26AS

   Get Form 16 from your employer (Parts A & B). Download the Annual Information Statement (AIS) and Form 26AS from the income-tax portal — these show all reported income and TDS. Reconcile the three; mismatches are the top reason returns get flagged.

2. 2

   Choose the right ITR form

   ITR-1 (Sahaj) covers salary, one house property and other income up to ₹50 lakh with no capital gains. If you have capital gains, more than one property, or foreign assets, you'll need ITR-2. Freelance/business income needs ITR-3 or ITR-4.

3. 3

   Compare old vs new regime

   The new regime is the default and offers wider slabs with a ₹75,000 standard deduction and a full rebate up to ₹12 lakh income — but few other deductions. The old regime lets you claim 80C, 80D, HRA and home-loan interest. Run both through our Income Tax Calculator to see which is lower for you.

4. 4

   Fill and validate the return

   Log in to the e-filing portal, select the form and assessment year, and use the pre-filled data (salary, TDS, interest). Add any income not pre-filled, claim eligible deductions, and let the portal compute tax, rebate and any refund or balance due.

5. 5

   Pay any balance tax and submit

   If tax is payable, pay it via the e-Pay Tax facility and enter the challan details. Submit the return.

6. 6

   E-verify within 30 days

   A return is not valid until verified. E-verify instantly via Aadhaar OTP, net banking or a pre-validated bank/demat account within 30 days of filing — otherwise the return is treated as not filed.