I-T releases Excel tool for ITR filing

New Delhi

The Income Tax Department announced on Friday that the Excel utilities for ITR-1 and ITR-4 for the assessment year 2025-26 are now available. This allows taxpayers to begin filing their income tax returns for earnings made during 2024-25. The department shared this update on its official X account.

This year, the deadline to file returns using ITR-1 and ITR-4 has been extended to September 15, instead of the usual July 31. These forms are mainly used by individuals, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), and entities with an income up to ₹50 lakh who do not need to get their accounts audited. Additionally, taxpayers with long-term capital gains up to ₹1.25 lakh from listed equities can now file ITR-1 or ITR-4, whereas previously, they had to use ITR-2.

The new ITR forms were notified on April 29. However, because of structural and content changes in the forms this year, it took nearly a month for the Income Tax Department to develop, test, and integrate the Excel utilities for these forms before releasing them for use. This delay was necessary to ensure a smooth and accurate filing process for taxpayers.

With the utilities now live, taxpayers can file their returns easily and on time, using the updated forms and tools provided by the department.