How to file your income tax return online: step by step

Filing your income tax return (ITR) online is a process of eight steps. You check whether you must file, collect your documents, choose the right ITR form and tax regime, compute your tax, pay any balance, submit the return and then e-verify it within 30 days. A return counts as filed only after it is e-verified.

Before you start: which tax year?

Your return is for the tax year in which you earned the income. A tax year runs from 1 April to 31 March. Income earned from 01-Apr-2026 to 31-Mar-2027 belongs to the tax year 2026-27, and its return is filed after the year ends, from 01-Apr-2027.

If you are reading this before April 2027, the return you can file now is most likely for the tax year 2025-26. The normal due date for that return was 31-Jul-2026, so a return filed now is a belated return. See our guide on ITR due dates for what that means.

The eight steps

1. Check whether you need to file

Most people with income above the basic exemption limit must file. Some people must file even with lower income. Read our guide on who must file an income tax return before going further.

2. Gather your documents

You will usually need:

• Your PAN and Aadhaar, with your mobile number linked to Aadhaar.
• Form 16 from your employer, if you are salaried.
• Your AIS and TIS, which show the income and transactions reported against your PAN.
• Form 26AS (for tax years up to 2025-26) or Form 168 (from the tax year 2026-27), which show the tax already deducted or paid in your name.
• Interest certificates from banks, and statements for shares or mutual funds if you sold any.
• Proofs for deductions you want to claim, such as insurance premiums or home loan interest certificates.

3. Choose the right ITR form

The form depends on the kind of income you have. Salary with one house and simple investments usually means ITR-1. Capital gains or more than one house usually mean ITR-2. Business or professional income means ITR-3 or ITR-4. Our guide on which ITR form to file explains this in detail.

4. Choose your tax regime

There are two ways your tax can be calculated: the old regime and the new regime. Work out the tax under both and pick the lower one. Our old vs new regime guide shows you how.

5. Compute your income and tax

Add up your income under each head: salary, house property, capital gains, business or profession, and other sources. Subtract the deductions allowed under your regime. Then compare the tax with what has already been deducted as TDS or paid as advance tax.

• If tax is still due, pay it as self-assessment tax before you submit.
• If more tax was paid than due, the difference is your refund.

6. Fill in the return and submit

Enter your income, deductions, tax paid and bank account details. Choose the account where you want the refund. Check every figure against your Form 16, AIS and Form 26AS or Form 168 before you submit.

Mismatches between your return and the department's records are a common reason for notices later.

7. E-verify within 30 days

After submitting, verify the return. The fastest way is an Aadhaar OTP. Other ways include a bank or demat account EVC and net banking. Our guide on how to e-verify your ITR covers each.

8. Track processing and your refund

Once verified, the department processes your return and sends an intimation. If you are owed a refund, it is credited to your validated bank account.

What if you make a mistake?

You can correct a filed return. A revised return fixes errors, and an updated return (ITR-U) is available later, with extra tax. Rules and dates differ by tax year, so check before you rely on them.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Filing without checking the AIS, so income reported by banks or brokers is missed.
• Forgetting to e-verify.
• Picking the wrong ITR form.
• Entering a bank account that is not validated. A refund is credited only to an account linked to your PAN that is pre-validated on the portal and nominated for refund; if validation is still pending, the refund waits until the bank completes it.

How TaxCare helps

TaxCare brings your Form 26AS or Form 168, AIS and TIS from the Income Tax portal into one place, after you confirm with an OTP. It picks the ITR form from your data, works out the tax under both regimes and shows you the difference. Nothing is submitted until you approve it. After filing, we remind you to e-verify and follow your refund.

If your case is complicated, you can hand it to a TaxCare Tax Expert on the same return.

This guide gives general information and is not professional tax advice.