How to file your income tax return yourself in India (2026)

You don't need a professional to file most individual returns. If your income is salary, interest and one house property, the government's e-filing portal takes you through the whole thing in about half an hour — and filing on the portal is free. Here's how to do it yourself, and when it's worth calling in help.

Do you qualify for ITR-1 (Sahaj)?

ITR-1 is the short form for the simplest returns, and most salaried people qualify. You can use ITR-1 if you are a resident individual whose total income is ₹50 lakh or less and comes from:

• Salary or pension
• One house property (excluding cases where a loss is being carried forward)
• Family pension
• Agricultural income up to ₹5,000
• Long-term capital gains under Section 112A up to ₹1.25 lakh
• Interest and other income — savings account interest, fixed deposits, refunds

You cannot use ITR-1 if you have income from a business or profession, own more than one house property, have capital gains beyond the limits above, are a director in a company, hold unlisted equity shares, or have foreign assets — those cases need ITR-2, ITR-3 or ITR-4.

Gather these documents first

• Form 16 from your employer — salary breakdown and TDS
• Form 26AS and AIS/TIS — downloadable from the e-filing portal; they show tax credits and high-value transactions and should match your return
• Bank statements or passbooks for interest earned
• Investment proofs if you claim deductions under Chapter VI-A (PPF, ELSS, insurance) in the old regime
• PAN and Aadhaar linked — a PAN that is not linked to Aadhaar becomes inoperative

File on the portal, step by step

1. Log in at www.incometax.gov.in with your PAN and password
2. Go to e-File → Income Tax Returns → File Income Tax Return
3. Select the assessment year — AY 2026-27 for income earned in FY 2025-26 — and choose the online mode
4. Choose ITR-1 and your filing status (Individual)
5. Pick the reason for filing — usually that your taxable income exceeds the basic exemption limit
6. Choose your tax regime — the new regime is the default; you can opt out to the old regime in the Personal Information section if you claim deductions
7. Review the pre-filled data: personal information, gross total income, deductions, tax paid (compare against Form 26AS) and your tax liability — if tax is due, pay it through the Pay Now option
8. Preview the return, accept the declaration, correct any validation errors and submit

Verify within 30 days

Filing is not complete until you verify. The easiest way is an Aadhaar OTP — the code goes to the mobile number linked to your Aadhaar. You can also verify with an Electronic Verification Code (EVC) generated through net banking or your bank's ATM, a Digital Signature Certificate, or by signing and posting the physical ITR-V to the Centralised Processing Centre in Bengaluru. An unverified return is treated as never filed.

Costs and deadlines for AY 2026-27

Preparing and submitting your return on the official portal is free. Miss the deadline and a late fee under Section 234F applies — ₹1,000 if your total income is up to ₹5 lakh, otherwise ₹5,000.

If your return is straightforward, doing it yourself is perfectly sensible. If you run a business, have capital gains or foreign income, or are unsure which form applies, the cost of a professional is far smaller than the cost of a wrong return.