What is the story about?
ITR filing last date 2026: With the Income Tax Department having released the online and Excel utilities for filing Income Tax Returns (ITR), many taxpayers
are eager to file early. However, tax experts recommend that certain categories of taxpayers wait until after June 15 to avoid potential discrepancies and notices.
Why the wait? Incomplete data in AIS and Form 16
It is mandatory for companies, banks, and other financial institutions to file their annual 'Specified Financial Transactions' (SFT) returns by May 31. This data is incorporated into the taxpayer's 'Annual Information Statement' (AIS), which the Income Tax Department uses to auto-populate information.
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Employers typically issue Form 16 to salaried employees by June 15. Filing returns before these updates are fully reflected may result in a mismatch between the return and departmental records.
“Once SFT data is filed, it gets reflected in AIS within weeks. It is highly recommended to wait at least till June 15th to file your ITR to avoid any discrepancies, which can lead to an income tax notice,” said Chartered Accountant Abhishek Soni, co-founder of Tax2Win, as quoted by ET.
Who should especially wait before filing?
Taxpayers with multiple or complex sources of income are advised to exercise caution -
Salaried individuals awaiting complete Form 16.
Pensioners with interest income from fixed deposits.
Individuals with income from mutual fund dividends, capital gains from sale of assets, equities, property, or house rent.
Anyone whose AIS/TIS is still being updated.
For those with diverse income streams, waiting ensures all transactions are accurately captured, reducing the risk of scrutiny.
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Who can file early?
Not everyone needs to delay. Taxpayers with simple, fixed income -- such as a single salaried job with no other sources -- or those who urgently need ITR-V for loan approvals or visa purposes can file in May or early June, provided they have all necessary documents.
Even then, experts strongly suggest verifying that AIS and TIS are fully updated to minimise future compliance issues.
Although essential facilities are available, waiting until mid-June can save both time and hassle later on. Taxpayers should regularly check their AIS portal for updates and, prior to final submission, ensure that all their reported income matches the Department's records.
