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ITR Filing 2026 Checklist: The deadline for filing Income Tax Returns (July 31) is fast approaching. Taxpayers filing their returns at the last minute should carefully review all information before submitting the form. Even minor errors—such as selecting the wrong form, concealing income, or providing incorrect bank account details—can delay your tax refund or lead to a notice from the Income Tax Department.

If you are filing your ITR at the last minute, be sure to verify all your details using this checklist before hitting the 'Submit' button.

1. Check personal and contact details

Verify your name, PAN, Aadhaar, date of birth, mobile number, and email ID before filing the return. If your contact information is not updated, you may miss out on important alerts and notices from the Income Tax Department.

2. Choose the correct ITR form

Selecting the wrong ITR form is one of the most common mistakes made by taxpayers.

ITR-1 (Sahaj): For individuals with income from salary, one house property, and 'other sources' (such as interest) up to ₹50,000.
ITR-2: For individuals with capital gains (from shares, mutual funds, or property sales) or foreign assets.
ITR-3 / ITR-4: For those earning income from a business or profession.
Choosing the wrong form could result in your return being declared 'defective,' requiring you to file it again.

3. Reconcile Form 16, Form 26AS, and AIS

Before submitting your return, ensure you cross-check the Form 16 received from your employer with Form 26AS and the AIS (Annual Information Statement). Note that the AIS contains comprehensive details regarding your bank interest, dividends, stock market trading, and mutual fund transactions. If there are discrepancies between the figures in Form 16 and the AIS, resolve them before filing your return.

4. Provide details of all income sources

Do not consider salary as the only source of income. You must also mandatorily report the following types of income in your ITR:

Interest earned on savings accounts and Fixed Deposits (FDs)
Dividends received from shares or mutual funds
Rental income
Fees earned from part-time work or freelancing
Profits from crypto or other virtual digital assets

5. Verify TDS and advance tax credits

Ensure that the TDS deducted on your salary or other payments matches exactly with the details in your Form 26AS and ITR form. Additionally, accurately report any advance tax or self-assessment tax paid during the financial year.

6. Claim eligible tax deductions

Based on the tax regime (Old or New) you have opted for, accurately claim all eligible deductions—such as investments in LIC/PPF under Section 80C, health insurance premiums under Section 80D, NPS contributions, and home loan interest.

7. Bank account details and pre-validation

If you are entitled to a tax refund, it will be credited directly to your bank account. The account number and IFSC code provided in the ITR form must be correct. To receive the refund, it is essential that your bank account is pre-validated on the Income Tax portal.

8. Pay outstanding tax

If the ITR calculation reveals a tax liability, pay the self-assessment tax online before submitting the return and enter the challan number in the form.

9. Disclose foreign assets and income

If you are a resident of India and hold a foreign bank account, have investments in foreign shares or property, or earn foreign income, you are mandatorily required to disclose these details in your ITR. Failure to disclose this information can attract heavy penalties.

10. Do not forget to e-verify

Simply uploading or 'submitting' the return does not complete the ITR filing process. It is mandatory to complete e-verification within 30 days of submission. You can easily e-verify using Aadhaar OTP, net banking, ATM EVC, or your bank account. An ITR is considered invalid without e-verification.

Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Money Control. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.