If you did not file your income tax return for income earned in 2025-26 by the due date, you can still file. The last date for a belated return is 31 December 2026. Filing late costs more, so it is worth doing it soon.
Key dates for income earned in 2025-26
| Return | Last date |
|---|---|
| Original return, no business income (ITR-1, ITR-2) | 31 July 2026 |
| Business or profession, no tax audit | 31 August 2026 |
| Tax audit cases | 21 November 2026 (extended from 31 October) |
| Belated return | 31 December 2026 |
| Revised return | 31 March 2027 |
What a belated return costs
- Late fee: ₹5,000, or ₹1,000 if your total income is ₹5 lakh or less. There is no fee if your income is below the limit on which tax is payable.
- Interest: 1% a month on any tax still unpaid, from the day after the due date until you file.
- Losses: business and capital losses for the year cannot be carried forward to later years. A loss from house property still can.
Made a mistake? File a revised return
If you have already filed but missed an income or a deduction, or made an error, you can file a revised return until 31 March 2027. A revised return filed after 31 December 2026 attracts a fee of ₹1,000 if income is up to ₹5 lakh, and ₹5,000 otherwise.
What to do now
- Download your AIS and Form 26AS and check every income and TDS entry.
- Collect Form 16, bank interest certificates and capital gains statements.
- Pay any balance tax, with interest, before you file.
- File the return and e-verify it within 30 days.
We can prepare and file the return for you after you approve the figures. See our income tax return service, or estimate your tax with the income tax calculator.
Sources: Income Tax Department; Income-tax Act, 1961 (sections 139(4), 139(5), 234A, 234F and 234I), which applies to income earned in 2025-26.