For AY 2026-27 (income earned in FY 2025-26), India no longer has a single ITR deadline. As of July 2026, taxpayers filing ITR-1 or ITR-2 must file by July 31, 2026, while those filing ITR-3 or ITR-4 without an audit requirement have until August 31, 2026. Taxpayers whose accounts need an audit under Section 44AB file by October 31, 2026. This staggered calendar was introduced by the Finance Act, 2026 and is a permanent change to the filing timeline, not a one-time extension. Your deadline therefore depends entirely on which ITR form applies to you, which makes knowing your correct form the first step of the season.
Chapter 1Why are there two ITR deadlines in 2026?
The Finance Act, 2026, announced with the Union Budget on February 1, 2026, split the old common July 31 deadline into a staggered calendar from AY 2026-27 onwards. Salaried and investment-income taxpayers (ITR-1 and ITR-2) keep the July 31 date, while small businesses, freelancers and professionals filing ITR-3 or ITR-4 without audit get an extra month, until August 31.
The stagger spreads the load on the e-filing portal and gives business filers, whose books take longer to close, more breathing room. Because the change is written into the law itself, the August 31 date for ITR-3 and ITR-4 will repeat every year unless the law is amended again.
Which ITR form decides your deadline?
Your form follows your income sources, and your deadline follows your form. The four forms most individuals use are ITR-1, ITR-2, ITR-3 and ITR-4.
| Form | Broadly meant for | Due date (AY 2026-27) |
|---|---|---|
| ITR-1 (Sahaj) | Resident individuals with total income up to Rs 50 lakh from salary, up to two house properties, other sources, and LTCG under Section 112A up to Rs 1.25 lakh | July 31, 2026 |
| ITR-2 | Individuals and HUFs with no business income but with capital gains, more than two properties, foreign assets, or income above Rs 50 lakh | July 31, 2026 |
| ITR-3 | Individuals and HUFs with business or professional income (regular books, not fully presumptive) | August 31, 2026 (October 31, 2026 if audit applies) |
| ITR-4 (Sugam) | Residents opting for presumptive taxation under Sections 44AD, 44ADA or 44AE, with total income up to Rs 50 lakh | August 31, 2026 |
A salaried person who also sold shares with short-term gains cannot use ITR-1 and moves to ITR-2, but the deadline stays July 31, 2026. A salaried person who also runs a side freelance practice on presumptive taxation typically files ITR-4 or ITR-3, which shifts the deadline to August 31, 2026.
What changed inside ITR-1 and ITR-4 this year?
Two eligibility relaxations matter for AY 2026-27. First, ITR-1 now permits up to two house properties instead of one, provided every other condition holds. Second, long-term capital gains under Section 112A (listed shares and equity mutual funds) up to Rs 1.25 lakh can be reported in ITR-1 and ITR-4, as long as there are no brought-forward capital losses. Short-term capital gains of any amount, LTCG above Rs 1.25 lakh, property sale gains, and crypto or VDA income still push a filer out of ITR-1 into ITR-2 or beyond.
Chapter 3What happens if you miss your ITR deadline?
Missing the due date does not close the window - a belated return under Section 139(4) can be filed until December 31, 2026 - but it triggers costs. The late filing fee under Section 234F is Rs 5,000 if total income exceeds Rs 5 lakh, and Rs 1,000 if total income is Rs 5 lakh or less. If tax is still payable, interest under Section 234A accrues at 1 percent per month or part of a month on the unpaid amount, counted from the day after the due date.
Filing on time also matters mechanically: refunds are processed only after filing and verification, and an unfiled return can hold up visa applications and loan processing where ITR copies are asked for.
Chapter 4Can a mistake be fixed after filing?
Yes. A revised return under Section 139(5) can be filed for AY 2026-27 up to March 31, 2027 - the Finance Act, 2026 extended this window from the earlier December 31 cutoff to the end of the assessment year. A return filed on time and revised later is treated as filed on time, so revising does not attract the Section 234F fee. Beyond March 31, 2027, the updated return (ITR-U) route exists for adding missed income, but it comes with additional tax and cannot be used to claim or increase a refund.
Chapter 5Key dates for AY 2026-27 at a glance
- July 31, 2026: due date for ITR-1 and ITR-2 (non-audit individuals).
- August 31, 2026: due date for ITR-3 and ITR-4 without audit (permanent change from this year).
- October 31, 2026: due date where a tax audit under Section 44AB applies.
- December 31, 2026: last date for a belated return under Section 139(4), with the Section 234F fee.
- March 31, 2027: last date for a revised return under Section 139(5) for AY 2026-27.
What this means for you
The single takeaway is that "the ITR deadline" is no longer one date - it is a function of your form. Knowing whether your income mix lands you in ITR-1, ITR-2, ITR-3 or ITR-4 tells you whether your clock runs out on July 31, August 31 or October 31, 2026, and understanding the belated and revised return windows shows what filing late or fixing an error actually costs. How Form 26AS and AIS feed the numbers behind that return is covered in AIS vs Form 26AS explained.
How Nora helps
Nora can explain which ITR form matches a given income mix, walk through what the Section 234F fee and Section 234A interest would look like on specific numbers, and lay out the AY 2026-27 tax calendar in plain language, so the deadlines above turn into a clear picture of your own filing season rather than a list of dates.
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