ITR Filing 2026: Tax Filing Begins, Excel Utility for ITR-1 & ITR-4 Released By Dept
ITR filing has started today as department releases excel utilities for ITR-1 & ITR-4 for AY 2026-27 (FY 2025-26). Eligible taxpayers can start filing the ITR returns for the fiscal year 2025-26 by downloading the utility form from Income Tax Department portal.
Income Tax Department itself took to X to share the information in a tweet, "Attention taxpayers! Excel utility and online filing of ITR-1 and ITR-4 for AY 2026-27 has been launched and is now available for taxpayers on the e-filing portal.
What is Excel Utility?
The excel utility refers to an Excel sheet especially designed for saving time. It helps in tedious jobs off-line. The Excel utility for the filing of ITR is primarily used by the income tax department. The taxpayer will fill up the tax data offline without the internet and validate it. After validation, it will be upload in the e-filing portal.
ITR-1 (Sahaj)
An ITR-1 (Sahaj) filing feature would have changes related to ownership of two houses. It allows reporting of two house properties. Earlier the taxpayers was allowed to use only one house property under the ITR-1 form.
Under ITR-1 or Sahaj form, all residential taxpayers with income up to Rs 50 lakh could use it for filling tax returns. ITR-1 or Sahaj covers salary, pension, two house properties, income from other sources (interest etc.) and agricultural income limited up to Rs 5000. They can file a short-term or long-term capital gain if it is within Rs 1.25 lakh.
ITR-4 Sugam Form
The Sugam form is ITR-4 officially. Under this, resident individuals, HUFs and LLPs and any other firms, could use the form if their income is below Rs 50 lakh and they are using the presumptive tax as prescribed under section 44AD, 44ADA and 44AE of the Income tax Act 1961 and also any specified long term capital gain up to 1.25 Lakh u/s 112A. Income tax department had last released ITR-1 and ITR-4 forms for assessment year 2026-27 which came with some new reporting criteria such as details about the reporting of capital gains, losses on buy-back of shares and details of specified trades and activity.
What is ITR?
The Income Tax Return (ITR) is defined as the declaration of your income and deductibles which you have to declare in the IT Department. Usually they are filled till July 31 of every year. Presently there are seven different forms of Income Tax Returns. A taxpayers' income details and category of income determines which form will be applicable for them.
