How to File ITR FY 2024-25 (AY 2025-26)

Every monsoon, the same ritual plays out at dining tables across India: salary slips on one side, bank passbooks on the other, and a quiet question in mind—how to file income tax return online without fuss. This guide keeps it human and practical. It explains How to File ITR Online, lists the Steps to file ITR, and sets out the Documents Required for Filing ITR so a taxpayer can finish the task in one sitting. Anyone still unsure about how to file income tax return online or simply how to file income tax return can use this single, tidy checklist.

Are you Filing the Income Tax Return for any of the Following Reasons? Here’s what you Need to Do

People file for different reasons; the basics stay the same.

• Income above the basic exemption: the taxpayer first chooses the tax regime (old or new) and the right form. This decision anchors how to file income tax return online correctly.
  
• Refund of excess TDS: ensure the refund bank account is pre-validated. Many who learn how to file income tax return do it mainly to get their money back on time.
  
• Loans, visas, or tenders: save acknowledgments in a neat folder; lenders and embassies ask for them.
  
• Carry-forward of losses: report capital or business losses precisely so they can be set off later.
  
• Multiple jobs or side income: reconcile entries in AIS/TIS, Form 26AS, and Form 16s. This is where how to file income tax return online becomes mostly matching numbers.

How to File ITR Online?

Here is a plain-English walk-through of the Steps to file ITR on the e-filing portal:

1. Sign in with PAN and password, pick “File Returns,” and select AY 2025–26. A first-time filer wondering how to file income tax return online will find the portal’s prompts self-explanatory.
   
2. Choose the correct form—ITR-1/2 for most salaried cases, ITR-3 for business/profession, ITR-4 for presumptive income. Choosing the form is the first real step in how to file income tax return properly.
   
3. Confirm personal details and add/validate bank account for any refund. Keeping this ready saves time for anyone learning How to File ITR Online.
   
4. Pull in AIS/TIS and Form 26AS data. Check TDS, savings-account interest, dividends, and capital gains. Small mismatches are common; fixing them is part of the Steps to file ITR Online.
   
5. Declare deductions/exemptions based on the selected regime—EPF, PPF, ELSS, NPS, insurance premiums, home-loan interest, and donations.
   
6. Compute tax and pay any balance through challan. Many taxpayers who delay how to file income tax return online hit this step close to the deadline; a quick review avoids late fees.
   
7. Submit and e-verify using Aadhaar OTP, net-banking, or DSC. Until e-verification is done, the filing is not complete—this final click closes the Steps to file ITR loop.

In short, How to File ITR Online is a guided journey: confirm identity, check income, claim deductions, pay the difference, and e-verify.

How to File ITR Offline?

Some prefer a desktop utility—useful for patchy internet or detailed schedules. The flow for How to File ITR Offline mirrors the online path:

1. Download the offline utility (JSON/Excel) for AY 2025–26 from the portal.
   
2. Enter income, deductions, TDS, and taxes paid in the utility; validate each schedule.
   
3. Generate the JSON and upload it to the portal.
   
4. E-verify the return. Even in How to File ITR Offline, e-verification is compulsory.

If the question is how to file income tax return online versus offline, the end-result is the same; the choice depends on comfort and internet reliability.

Documents Required for Filing ITR

A tidy folder saves an hour. These Documents Required for Filing ITR cover most situations:

• PAN, Aadhaar, and a pre-validated bank account (for faster refunds).
  
• Form 16/16A, Form 26AS, and AIS/TIS (the master snapshot of reported income and TDS).
  
• Bank interest certificates, brokerage/dividend statements, and capital-gains statements for shares, mutual funds, and bonds.
  
• Deduction proofs: ELSS statements, PPF/NPS contributions, life and health insurance premiums, tuition fee receipts, Section 80G donation receipts.
  
• HRA or home-loan papers: rent receipts, landlord PAN (where applicable), home-loan interest/principal certificates.
  
• Other income proofs: freelance invoices, rent agreements, pension statements, and any foreign income documents.

Keeping the Documents Required for Filing ITR in one place makes How to File ITR Online far smoother for the household.

ITR Filing Due Date FY 2024–25

• For individuals not requiring audit: the due date is generally 31 July of the assessment year (subject to official notifications).
  
• Why file early: faster refunds, time to correct AIS/TIS mismatches, and quieter servers.
  
• Late filing: may attract a fee and can restrict loss set-offs.

Those still weighing how to file income tax return online should aim to finish well before the last week to avoid payment and OTP delays.

Conclusion

A clean return is mostly about habits: start with the checklist, follow the Steps to file ITR Online, and keep proofs ready. Whether the taxpayer prefers the portal or chooses How to File ITR Offline, the fundamentals do not change. With the Documents Required for Filing ITR lined up, How to File ITR Online becomes a calm, 30-minute job. Anyone who once wondered how to file income tax return can now move on to better weekend plans.

FAQs

How can I file my Income Tax Return online by myself?

Log in to the portal, pick AY 2025–26, and follow the guided flow. The journey covers How to File ITR Online end-to-end—form selection, AIS/TIS import, claiming deductions, payment (if any), submission, and e-verification. For someone asking how to file income tax return online, this is the shortest route.

Can we file ITR without CA?

Yes. Most salaried taxpayers manage comfortably with the portal’s prompts. A professional helps when cases involve complex capital gains, foreign income, or business audits. Either way, understanding how to file income tax return improves accuracy.

How to file income tax for beginners?

Beginners typically use ITR-1 (if eligible) and rely on pre-filled data. Keeping the Documents Required for Filing ITR handy reduces errors. The portal’s step-by-step flow doubles as a tutorial on how to file income tax return online and the Steps to file ITR in general.

Is inr ₹7 lacs income tax free in India?

Under the new tax regime, a resident individual may be eligible for a rebate that makes tax payable nil up to ₹7,00,000 of taxable income (subject to conditions). Rules can change; while learning how to file income tax return online, the taxpayer should review the latest slabs and pick the suitable regime.

Disclaimer : Investments in debt securities/ municipal debt securities/ securitised debt instruments are subject to risks including delay and/ or default in payment. Read all the offer related documents carefully.