ITR e-filing is the process of submitting your income tax return online through the Income Tax Department’s official portal, www.incometax.gov.in. The portal, launched by the CBDT on 7 June 2021, replaced the earlier incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in site and now handles return filing, tax payments, refund tracking and notice responses from one login.
For FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27), returns are filed under the Income Tax Act, 1961, the new tax regime is the default, and resident individuals with taxable income up to ₹12 lakh pay no tax after the Section 87A rebate. A return is valid only after e-verification within 30 days of filing.
This guide explains registration, filing steps, forms, due dates and a pre-filing reconciliation check.
Note on the Income Tax Act, 2025: Returns for FY 2025-26 are still filed under the 1961 Act. The new Act introduces the term “tax year” and will apply to returns for income earned from 1 April 2026, which are filed in 2027.
What is All About An Income Tax Portal 2.0?
The department’s e-filing portal is available at https://www.incometax.gov.in/. The earlier website address, incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in, was shortened and made quicker to access.
Use only the official domain for ITR e-filing. Look-alike websites are a common route for phishing, so sharing your PAN or OTP anywhere else carries a real risk of misuse.
What is the entire process for Registration on the Income Tax Portal 2.0?
If a taxpayer is new to the portal, they must register first to access any tax-related service. For registration, one needs a valid PAN, mobile number, current residence address, and email address. If the taxpayer is already registered, they can directly log in.
Ensure that your PAN is linked with Aadhaar before you begin. An inoperative PAN can delay refunds and attract higher TDS, so linking it first saves time later.
Steps to Follow to Register Yourself on Income Tax e-filing Portal
Step – 1:- Visit the website ‘www.incometax.gov.in’. Click here to visit the website
Step – 2:- On the top-right corner of the portal, log in, and Register icons can be seen.
Step – 3:- New window will be opened, and the taxpayer must provide the details. These four stages are – Get started, Fill in Details, Verify Details and Secure your account. Fill in all the required information.
Step – 4:- Once the PAN is validated, click on ‘Continue’ for further process. Then click on “Please confirm if you want to register as ‘Individual taxpayer’”. If the taxpayer is an individual, select ‘Yes, and if the taxpayer is a person other than an individual, select ‘No’. Click on ‘Continue’.
Step – 5:- Enter basic details and contact details in the second stage. In the ‘Basic Details’ tab, the user’s Last name, Middle name, First name, DOB, Gender, and Residential status needs to be filled in. Fill Contact Details tab, Mobile number, and Email ID. After entering these details, click on ‘Continue’.
Step – 6:- Enter the OTP generated and sent on the Mobile number and Email ID provided and click on ‘Continue’.
Step – 7:- After validating the OTPs, a new window will be opened for the third stage. Verify the details entered, and if there is any error, then go back to the previous page and correct the parties, and again OTPs will be validated.
Step – 8:- Once the details are verified, set a password and enter it for login. The password should be a combination of uppercase, lowercase, and special characters. For secured login, enter a personalized message. After entering this, click on ‘Register’, and an acknowledgment number will be generated after a successful registration.
What Does the “Individual Taxpayer” Prompt Mean?
Your selection | Applies to |
Yes | Salaried individuals, pensioners, freelancers, proprietors and other individual PAN holders |
No | HUFs, companies, LLPs, partnership firms, trusts and other non-individual entities |
Selecting the wrong option creates an incorrect profile type that has to be corrected later. This is the most avoidable registration error, and a few seconds of care at this step prevents delays at the filing stage.
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Get StartedWhat are The Features of New Income Tax e-Filing Portal
The portal offers the following features for taxpayers.
User friendly:
The new income tax portal in India has immediate income tax returns (ITRs) to issue quick refunds to taxpayers’ facilities.
New Online Tax Payment System:
The portal has multiple new payment options through net banking, UPI, credit card RTGS, and NEFT from any taxpayer account in any bank for easy payment of taxes.
Mobile App:
The feature will help taxpayers to get used to the various new features that have been launched. The application will enable taxpayers to get familiar with the different parts.
Single Dashboard:
The income tax portal 2.0 dashboard helps in interacting and pending stuff uploaded for follow-up action by the taxpayers.
ITR Preparation Software:
It is a free-of-cost interactive software that will help taxpayers with ITRs 1, 4 (online and offline), and ITR 2 (offline).
Pre-Filing of ITR:
Taxpayers can smartly update their profile to facilitate income details like salary, house property, and business/profession in the new portal.
New Call Centre:
The portal has detailed FAQs, user manuals, videos, and a chatbot /live agent for a user-friendly connection.
Additional Functionalities: The income tax portal contains new income tax forms, adds tax professionals, and submits responses to notices, including faceless scrutiny or appeals.
How To File ITR from the Income Tax e-filing Portal?
Steps to Follow To File ITR Return on Income Tax e-filing Portal
Following are the Steps to Follow To File ITR Return on Income Tax e-filing Portal
- Log in by clicking on the e-file > Income Tax Return > File Income Tax Return. A new window will be opened.
- Select the Assessment Year (AY 2026-27 for income earned in FY 2025-26) and the Filing Type. If your accounts require an audit under Section 44AB, select Yes; otherwise select No.
- Select ITR Type, and after that mode of Return, preparation will be asked.
- If the return is scheduled online, the portal asks for the income details and suggests the ITR type applicable.
- ITR type appropriate to taxpayers can be known from utilities available on the main dashboard if the return is to be prepared offline.
- Offline utilities can be downloaded in the ‘Downloads’ tab.
- Once the return is prepared, the XML file must be uploaded, and if the taxpayer is required to sign the return through DSC (Digital Signature Certificate), the signed XML file also needs to be uploaded.
- After this, the portal asks for generating Aadhaar OTP to e-verify the return for taxpayers whose return is not required to be signed through DSC. After validating the OTP, the return will be filed successfully.
E-verification must be completed within 30 days of filing. A return that is submitted but not verified is treated as not filed. In practical terms, an unverified return gives you no valid filing and no refund, so verify immediately after submission.
E-verification method | Notes |
Aadhaar OTP | The fastest and most common option |
Net banking | Through your bank’s login linked to the portal |
EVC via bank or demat account | Requires a pre-validated account |
Digital Signature Certificate | Mandatory in specified cases |
Signed ITR-V by post | Sent to CPC, Bengaluru within 30 days |
Which ITR Form Applies to You?
Form | Applicable to |
ITR-1 (Sahaj) | Resident individuals with income up to ₹50 lakh from salary, one house property and other sources |
ITR-2 | Individuals and HUFs with capital gains, multiple properties or foreign income, but no business income |
ITR-3 | Individuals and HUFs with business or professional income |
ITR-4 (Sugam) | Resident taxpayers opting for presumptive taxation |
ITR-5, 6 and 7 | Firms and LLPs, companies, and trusts respectively |
Documents Required To File ITR on the income tax e-filing portal
- PAN card and Aadhaar
- Form 26AS
- Annual Information Statement (AIS) and Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS)
- Form 16 (salary) and Forms 16A, 16B and 16C (other TDS)
- Salary payslips
- Bank statements and interest certificates
- TDS certificates
- Capital gains statements from brokers or mutual funds
- Investment and rent proofs, only if you choose the old regime
ITR Due Dates for FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27)
Taxpayer category | Due date |
ITR-1 and ITR-2 (non-audit) | 31 July 2026 |
ITR-3 and ITR-4 (non-audit) | 31 August 2026 |
Audit cases | 31 October 2026, subject to any extension notified by CBDT |
Belated return | 31 December 2026 |
Revised return | 31 March 2027 |
Updated return (ITR-U) | 31 March 2031 |
A belated return can still be filed until 31 December 2026, with a Section 234F late fee of ₹5,000, or ₹1,000 where total income is up to ₹5 lakh. Filing now costs less than waiting, because interest under Sections 234A, 234B and 234C keeps accruing.
What are the Benefits of Income Tax New e-filing Portal?
- The portal offers the following benefits to taxpayers
- The portal makes return filing easy and convenient for taxpayers.
- Pre-filled data and integrated processing support quicker refunds.
- Taxpayers can file income tax forms and respond to scrutiny notices and appeals online.
- A single dashboard helps taxpayers track pending requests and uploads.
A helpdesk, FAQs and a chatbot support taxpayers throughout the process
Start Your Income Tax e-filing Process
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Businesses and professionals can also rely on Actax for accounting and bookkeeping and GST registration and filing, so that records and compliances stay aligned with the return.
