Self-filing vs a Tax Expert: which is right for you

Self-file if your income is simple and the portal already holds your details: salary, interest, a house, small capital gains. Use a Tax Expert if you have business income with books, large or mixed capital gains, a notice to answer, foreign assets, or you simply want a professional to take it on. Either way, nothing is submitted without your approval.

Self-filing at a glance

On TaxCare you:

1. Confirm with an OTP so TaxCare can fetch your data from the Income Tax portal.
2. Review your income and tax credit, fetched from AIS, TIS and Form 26AS or Form 168.
3. Let TaxCare pick the ITR form and compare the old and new regimes.
4. Fill any gaps, such as a Form 16 or deductions.
5. Approve, file, and e-verify with an Aadhaar OTP.

You stay in control, and you can add family members and prepare their returns from the same account.

Working with a Tax Expert

A Tax Expert is the user-facing name for TaxCare's panel of chartered accountants. They can:

• file your ITR;
• reply to an income tax notice;
• help with any other tax matter.

You see the fee before you pay and follow messages, documents and status on one order. Experts are TaxCare's own panel, each verified by an admin against ICAI records before a matter is assigned, and you always see who has your matter.

For the current fees, see pricing. We do not quote them here.

Quick comparison

Choose by situation

Self-file when

• You have salary, pension, interest and perhaps one house.
• Your capital gains are small, for example long-term gains on listed shares within ₹1,25,000.
• The portal shows your salary and TDS correctly.
• You are comfortable reviewing a summary and approving it.

See ITR-1 vs ITR-2 and which ITR form should I file.

Consider a Tax Expert when

• You have business or professional income with books, a tax audit, or a mix of presumptive and other income.
• You have significant or complex capital gains, such as property sales and exemptions.
• You have foreign assets or income, or are a non-resident.
• You have received an income tax notice or an intimation you do not agree with.
• TaxCare's data shows a case that only an expert files, for example TDS on cash withdrawals.
• You want someone to take responsibility for the filing.

What if you change your mind?

The two routes do not clash:

• If you start self-filing and hit a case you do not want to handle, you can hand it to a Tax Expert from inside the wizard. The expert order follows your data while it is unpaid.
• One return, one filing. A return is a PAN plus a tax year. At most one open ITR order exists per return. Once an expert order is paid, self-filing's approve and submit steps close for that return.
• If an expert has filed it, only a correction (revised or updated return) can be filed on TaxCare's self-filing.

Things worth checking either way

• Correct documents. Compare your return with the AIS and Form 26AS or Form 168. See documents you need to file your ITR.
• The right regime. Compare both before choosing. See old vs new tax regime.
• E-verification. It is required within 30 days. See how to e-verify your ITR.
• The due date. See ITR due dates for the tax year 2026-27.

How TaxCare helps

TaxCare supports both routes in one place. Self-filers get fetched data, form selection, regime comparison and checks before filing. If you want expert help, you can book a Tax Expert, see the fee up front and track the order. You can start with the income tax calculator to see where you stand.

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