What is the ITR last date for AY 2026-27 for salaried employees?

July 31, 2026 is the due date for salaried taxpayers filing ITR-1 or ITR-2 for FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27), unless the government announces an extension.

What is the ITR due date for business owners without audit?

August 31, 2026. The Finance Act 2026 permanently moved the non-audit ITR-3/ITR-4 due date to August 31, giving small businesses and professionals an extra month.

What happens if I miss the ITR deadline?

You can file a belated return until December 31, 2026, but a late fee under Section 234F applies — up to ₹5,000 (₹1,000 if total income is below ₹5 lakh) — plus interest on unpaid tax, and you lose the ability to carry forward most losses.

Can I revise my ITR after filing?

Yes. For AY 2026-27 the revised return window runs until March 31, 2027 — extended from the earlier December 31 cutoff.

ITR Filing Last Date AY 2026-27: July 31 for Salaried, August 31 for Business

By Anurag · Anukram, Hyderabad · Updated 18 July 2026

ITR season for FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27) is in its final stretch. If you're salaried, your deadline is July 31, 2026 — less than two weeks away. If you run a business or practice a profession without audit, you have until August 31, 2026, thanks to a permanent change introduced by the Finance Act, 2026.

Here is the complete deadline calendar, what missing a date actually costs you, and the documents to keep ready so filing takes minutes, not days.

The full deadline calendar for AY 2026-27

Who you are	Form	Due date
Salaried / pension income, no audit	ITR-1 / ITR-2	July 31, 2026
Business / profession, no audit needed	ITR-3 / ITR-4	August 31, 2026
Accounts requiring audit	ITR-3 etc.	October 31, 2026
Transfer pricing cases (Form 3CEB)	—	November 30, 2026
Belated return (with late fee)	Any	December 31, 2026
Revised return	Any	March 31, 2027

New this year: the August 31 due date for non-audit ITR-3/ITR-4 is a permanent change under the Finance Act, 2026 — not a one-time extension. Small business owners and freelancers get a full extra month every year now.

What missing the deadline actually costs

Missing your due date doesn't mean you can't file — it means filing gets more expensive and less flexible:

Late fee under Section 234F: ₹5,000 (capped at ₹1,000 if your total income is below ₹5 lakh).
Interest under Section 234A: 1% per month on any unpaid tax from the due date until you file.
Loss carry-forward gone: business losses and capital losses (except house property loss) cannot be carried forward if you file late. For anyone with share-market or F&O losses, this alone can cost far more than the late fee.
Refund delays: late filers join the back of the processing queue.

F&O traders, note: if FY 2025-26 gave you a loss, filing on time is the only way to carry it forward against future profits for up to 8 years. A belated return forfeits this permanently.

Which regime applies this year?

The new regime is the default for FY 2025-26. Under it, the Section 87A rebate of up to ₹60,000 makes income up to ₹12 lakh effectively tax-free, and salaried taxpayers get a ₹75,000 standard deduction on top. The old regime is still available if your 80C/80D/HRA deductions make it worthwhile — you choose it while filing (business filers need Form 10-IEA).

Not sure which regime saves you more? Run both in our free Income Tax Calculator — it compares old vs new side by side, including surcharge and marginal relief.

Documents to keep ready

Form 16 from your employer (salaried)
AIS and TIS from the income-tax portal — cross-check every entry; mismatches trigger notices
Form 26AS for TDS credits
Bank interest certificates and savings account statements
Capital gains statements from your broker (if you sold shares/MF/property)
Rent receipts and HRA proofs (old regime)
Investment proofs — LIC, PPF, ELSS, health insurance (old regime)
Business turnover summary and expense records (ITR-3/4)

One more thing: this return is still under the old 1961 Act

You may have read that the Income Tax Act, 2025 replaced the 1961 Act from April 1, 2026. Important: the return you file this season covers FY 2025-26, which falls under the old 1961 Act. The new Act applies from Tax Year 2026-27 onwards — meaning the return you'll file next year. Nothing about the new law changes your current filing.

File before the rush. Starting ₹499.

Send your Form 16 on WhatsApp — expert-led filing, AIS cross-checked, same-day acknowledgement. Salaried, business, capital gains, NRI — sab handle karte hain.

WhatsApp karo → +91 96315 26999

Frequently asked questions

Deadline miss ho gaya toh kya return file hi nahi hoga?

File hoga — belated return December 31, 2026 tak file kar sakte ho, but ₹1,000–₹5,000 late fee + interest lagega, aur losses carry forward nahi honge.

Salary + thoda sa F&O trading hai — kaunsa form?

F&O income business income hai, toh ITR-3 lagega (ya ITR-4 presumptive mein). Iska matlab aapki due date August 31, 2026 hai — but jaldi file karna better hai.

Refund kitne din mein aata hai?

E-verified returns generally 2–5 weeks mein process hote hain peak season mein. Jitna pehle file karoge, utna jaldi refund.

Kya government deadline extend karegi?

Abhi tak (18 July 2026) koi official extension nahi hai. Extension ki umeed pe rukna risky hai — file now.

This article is general information, not professional tax advice for your specific situation. Deadlines are as announced up to 18 July 2026; always confirm on incometax.gov.in for later changes. Related services: ITR Filing · Business ITR · Capital Gains ITR · NRI ITR