ITR filing, deductions, tax regimes, and the transition to the Income Tax Act 2025.
35 guides
Income tax touches nearly everyone who earns in India, and most of the confusion isn't about the headline slab rates, it's about the mechanics: which ITR form actually applies to you, what a Section 143(1) intimation or a defective return notice under Section 139(9) means when it lands in your inbox, and whether the old or new regime actually works out cheaper once you run the real numbers rather than guessing. This section works through those mechanics directly, from picking a regime for FY 2026-27 to understanding what changes, and what doesn't, under the Income Tax Act, 2025.
A few threads run through most of what's here. Filing-season problems, a stuck refund, a mismatched Form 26AS, a return that came back defective, get their own step-by-step guides rather than one generic FAQ. Capital gains, surcharge, and the financial year versus assessment year distinction are each treated as the genuinely separate topics they are, since conflating them is where most mistakes start. If you're deciding between regimes or trying to make sense of a notice you've just received, that's usually the fastest place to start.
Income TaxA salary-only taxpayer picks the old regime with one click inside the ITR. If you have business or professional income, that click alone doesn't count: Form 10-IEA has to be filed first, and filed on time.
Income TaxYour customer isn't paying and you want to write it off. Here's the requirement that actually decides it, and why a provision for doubtful debts isn't the same as a deduction.
Income TaxFreelance tax isn't one task, it's four running at once: how your income is taxed, advance tax due dates, TDS credits, and GST registration. Here's how they fit together.
Income TaxProceeding on your best guess and hoping assessment goes your way is one option. Getting a binding answer before you sign anything is the other. Here's what that trade actually costs, and when it's worth making.
Income TaxFaceless assessment means you likely won't ever meet, or learn the identity of, the officer handling your case. Here's how the system actually works, and why your response needs to be right the first time.
Income TaxProsecution for a tax offence is not automatically the end of the road. Compounding is the mechanism that can keep certain defaults out of a criminal courtroom, if you understand it and act in time.
Income TaxA delayed refund isn't just sitting in limbo. It's earning you interest under Section 244A, at a rate the department publishes but rarely explains. Here's how the mechanism works, and why the interest itself needs to show up on next year's return.
Income TaxPPF and ELSS get all the attention, but Section 80C covers a longer list than most people use. Here's every eligible option in one place, compared by lock-in and risk.
Income TaxA loss doesn't offset income however you'd like. Set-off runs in a fixed order, several losses can't leave the head they arose in, and missing one deadline can cost you the entire carry-forward.
Income Tax"FY26", "FY 2025-26", "FY27": three ways of writing the same kind of label, and a constant source of confusion. Here's a direct table mapping every one of them to actual dates.
Income Tax"No deductions under the new regime" isn't quite true. A short list survives, and knowing exactly what's on it is worth real money if your employer or your own filing checklist is missing one.
Income TaxThe HRA on your payslip isn't automatically tax-free. It's the lowest of three calculated figures. Here's the formula, the paperwork, and a worked example.
Income TaxRental income isn't taxed on the rent you collected. It runs through Net Annual Value, a 30% deduction, and loan interest first. Here's the full computation.
Income TaxA gift from your father is tax-free with no limit. A gift from a close friend is taxable past ₹50,000. Here's exactly where Section 56(2)(x) draws the line.
Income TaxFY 2025-26 income gets assessed in AY 2026-27, not FY 2026-27. Here's exactly how financial year, assessment year, and the new tax year label fit together.
Income TaxSurcharge is a tax on your tax, not your income, and it only bites above ₹50 lakh. Here's exactly how the slabs, marginal relief, and 4% cess actually work.
Income TaxDeclare profit at a fixed percentage of turnover, skip full books and a tax audit. Here's exactly who qualifies for Section 44AD and 44ADA, and what it costs you.
Income TaxAn updated return can never give you a refund. When the money is owed to you and the deadlines have gone, this is the one door still open.
Income TaxA defective return is not a rejected one. It is a fixable paperwork problem with a short clock attached, and ignoring it is what turns it serious.
Income TaxAn unverified return is not a late return. It is treated as never filed at all. Here is every way to verify, and which one to pick.
Income TaxThe refund you were expecting can be swallowed by a demand from a year you had forgotten about. You get one chance to object, and it expires quietly.
Income TaxArrears land in one year but were earned across several, pushing you into a higher slab for money you should have received earlier. Section 89 fixes that.
Income TaxA 143(1) intimation isn't a scrutiny notice, it's a receipt for arithmetic. Here's how to read the two columns and what to do when they disagree.
Income TaxA refund that hasn't landed is almost never the department losing your money. It's usually one of five specific, fixable blockages. Here's how to find yours.
Income TaxThree different repairs, three different price tags, and only one of them is free. Here's how to work out which one your situation actually needs.
Income TaxMiss an advance tax instalment and interest starts quietly adding up. Here's who must pay, the due dates and percentages, and how Section 234B and 234C actually work.
Income TaxReinvest in a house after selling a capital asset, and Section 54 or 54F can wipe out the tax on your gain, provided you meet the conditions. Here's how each works.
Income TaxSell property, shares, or gold, and the tax rules genuinely differ. A clear walkthrough of holding periods, LTCG and STCG rates, and exemptions for each.
Income TaxTransfer income or assets to a spouse or minor child, and the tax often stays with you anyway. Here's how clubbing under Sections 60 to 64 actually works.
Income TaxForm 16 isn't the final word on your taxes, it's your employer's first draft of them. Here's how to read Part A and Part B and catch errors before filing.
Income TaxSame tax rates, same deduction limits, new numbers and a new 'tax year' concept. A practical look at what the Income Tax Act 2025 really changes for you.
Income TaxSection 80C isn't the end of tax-saving. Health insurance, education loan interest, HRA, NPS, and home loan interest can add up to far more. Here's how.
Income TaxNot every income tax notice is bad news. Here's what 143(1), 139(9), 143(2), 148, and 245 notices actually mean, and the specific next step each one needs.
Income TaxPicking a tax regime isn't about which one sounds better, it's arithmetic. Here's the real break-even point by income level, so you choose correctly for tax year 2026-27.
Income TaxPicking the wrong ITR form is a common, avoidable mistake. Here's a practical way to work out which of ITR-1 through ITR-4 actually fits your situation.