ITR means income-tax return. It is the form that tells the department what you earned, which deductions you claim, and how much tax was already taken. The calculator on this site can check the arithmetic. It does not log in to the portal or submit the form.
For income earned in FY 2025-26 you file AY 2026-27. That year is still the Income-tax Act, 1961. The Income-tax Act, 2025 starts on 1 April 2026, so section 80C, not section 123, is the label on this return. FY 2026-27 is the first year that uses the new numbers, and that return is AY 2027-28.
Most salaried people with one house use ITR-1 if total income is up to ₹50 lakh and long-term equity gains are within ₹1,25,000. A second house, larger equity gains, or business income needs another form. The due date for most salaried people for AY 2026-27 was 31 July 2026. A business without an audit had until 31 August 2026. A company, a person whose accounts are audited, or a partner of an audited firm, if transfer pricing does not apply, has until 21 November 2026 (extended from 31 October 2026 by CBDT Circular 7/2026). As of 29 October 2026 that date is still ahead. The tax audit report is due 21 October 2026. Transfer pricing stays 30 November 2026. A belated return can run until 31 December 2026.
File on the e-filing portal and verify within 30 days. An unverified return is invalid. The late fee under section Section 234F is ₹1,000 if total income is up to ₹5,00,000, and ₹5,000 otherwise.
A worked example
Suppose the return is for a salaried resident whose only figure you have checked is the new-regime bill on ₹15,00,000, which is ₹97,500. That number belongs on a computation for FY 2026-27, under section 202. Do not paste it into AY 2026-27 and expect the portal to agree. That earlier year has its own TDS from Form 16 and its own slab notification.
Match the salary and the tax deducted to the certificate. Add interest the bank did not deduct. If you paid advance tax, the challans go on the return too. The filing guide follows the department’s steps. The income tax calculator is only the arithmetic. The regime calculator is how you decide which set of slabs to type.
Mistakes people make
- Filing FY 2026-27 rules on an AY 2026-27 form, or the reverse.
- Leaving the return unverified. It is not filed until it is verified.
- Using ITR-1 when long-term equity gains are above ₹1,25,000, or when you have a second house.
- Ignoring interest that never suffered TDS. The bank’s silence is not an exemption.
- Treating the calculator’s bill as a filed return.
The section
The return itself is filed under the Act that governs that year. The late fee people meet on AY 2026-27 is section Section 234F. The new Act’s corresponding fee is section Section 428. The department’s return pages are the source for the dates above.
Questions
Which year do I file in 2026 for last year’s salary?
Income earned in FY 2025-26 is filed as AY 2026-27. That return is still under the Income-tax Act, 1961. The Income-tax Act, 2025 starts on 1 April 2026, so FY 2026-27 is the first year of the new section numbers.
What is the late fee?
Under section 234F it is ₹1,000 if total income is up to ₹5,00,000, and ₹5,000 otherwise. A belated return for AY 2026-27 can run until 31 December 2026. Verify the return within 30 days or it is invalid.
Does the calculator file the return?
No. The income tax calculator checks the arithmetic for a year’s income. Filing is on the department’s e-filing portal. The form you need depends on salary, the number of houses, business income and the size of your capital gains.
Sources
Figures checked 28 Oct 2026.