Income Tax Return 2025: Essential Checklist Before Filing Your ITR

As the new assessment year 2025-26 gets underway, people across the country — especially salaried taxpayers — are preparing to file their Income Tax Returns (ITR) for the financial year 2024-25. While the online portal of the Income Tax Department is now active for submissions, a little planning and attention to detail can go a long way in ensuring a smooth filing experience.

A common mistake many people make is treating tax filing as a routine submission. But your ITR isn't just a form — it's your financial signature. And for the tax department, it's a document they might scrutinise more closely this year than ever before. As per the new powers introduced in the Finance Bill 2025, past filings and current data will now be compared. Inconsistencies could raise red flags. That makes accurate reporting even more crucial. So, before you log in to the income tax portal, it's worth asking — have you done your groundwork?

Choose The Right ITR Form

The first step is choosing the ITR form that corresponds to your income profile. The form you select depends on various factors such as salary, business income, capital gains or foreign assets. Selecting the wrong form can delay processing or even invalidate your submission. There are seven forms in total — ITR-1 to ITR-7 — each meant for a specific category of taxpayers.

Understand The Tax Regimes And Pick Wisely

India has two tax regimes — the old regime and the new regime. While the old regime allows for various exemptions and deductions (such as those under Sections 80C, 80D, etc.), the new regime offers lower slab rates with minimal deductions. Pick the one that results in lower tax outgo, based on your eligible deductions and income structure.

Gather And Organise Income-Related Documents

Keeping all necessary documents in one place before starting your ITR filing can save time and avoid errors. Some of the important documents you'd need are Form 16 (from your employer), Form 16A (for TDS on non-salary income), Form 26AS (tax credit statement), Annual Information Statement (AIS) and Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS), pay slips, interest certificates from banks or post offices, capital gains reports from mutual funds or stock trades and rental income records, if applicable.

Verify Personal And PAN-Aadhaar Details

Ensure that your name, date of birth and gender match across PAN, Aadhaar and bank documents. Also, ensure your PAN is linked to Aadhaar, as this is mandatory for e-verification and refund processing. A mismatch could result in rejection or delay of your return.

Review Deductions And Exemptions

Review the full list of eligible tax deductions and exemptions. These include Section 80C, under which you can claim deductions for investments in PPF, ELSS, life insurance premiums. Section 80D allows for deductions on medical insurance premiums, while Section 80E covers interest paid on education loans. If you have a home loan, interest payments may be claimed under Section 24(b). Those opting for the old tax regime can claim benefits such as House Rent Allowance (HRA), Leave Travel Allowance (LTA), and other employer-related exemptions.

Cross-Check TDS And Advance Tax Payments

Before submitting your ITR, it's important to reconcile your tax payments using Form 26AS and the Annual Information Statement (AIS). These documents provide a comprehensive record of taxes deducted at source (TDS) by your employer or other entities, any advance tax or self-assessment tax you've paid, and details of high-value financial transactions.

Keep Track Of Filing Deadlines

For individuals and Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) not subject to audit, the deadline to file the Income Tax Return for the assessment year 2025-26 is July 31, 2025. Failing to meet this deadline can lead to late filing fee, the inability to carry forward certain losses and delays in receiving any potential refund.

Submit And E-Verify Your ITR Promptly

After submitting your ITR, you need to complete the e-verification process within 30 days. This can be done using your Aadhaar OTP, net banking, bank account-based Electronic Verification Code (EVC), demat account-based EVC or by physically mailing a signed ITR-V form to the Centralised Processing Centre (CPC) in Bengaluru. Once your ITR is successfully e-verified, you will receive a confirmation through SMS and email. Retain this confirmation, as it serves as proof of your compliance.