ITR due dates for AY 2026-27: 31 July for non-audit individuals and belated returns until 31 December

The single most important date on the salaried taxpayer's calendar for Assessment Year 2026-27 is 31 July 2026 — the due date under Section 139(1) of the Income-tax Act, 1961 for filing the return of income in non-audit individual cases. Miss it and the return does not disappear; it simply becomes a belated return under Section 139(4), which the Income Tax Department accepts up to 31 December 2026 or before completion of assessment, whichever is earlier. Those two dates frame the entire filing season, and understanding the difference between them is worth several thousand rupees to anyone who leaves filing to the last week.

This guide walks through what Section 139 actually requires for AY 2026-27, works a full tax computation under the new regime slabs, and lists the mistakes that most often surface in Income Tax Department scrutiny. Every figure below is drawn from the statute or from the official Finance Act 2025 slab structure.

What the Section Says

Section 139 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 is the master provision governing who must file a return and by when. For Assessment Year 2026-27 (the year in which income earned in Financial Year 2025-26 is assessed), the sub-sections that matter to an individual break down as follows.

Section 139(1) — the original due date. For an individual whose accounts are not required to be audited — the vast majority of salaried employees, pensioners and small professionals — the return must be furnished on or before 31 July 2026. Where the taxpayer's accounts are subject to audit, the date extends to 31 October 2026, and for taxpayers required to file a transfer-pricing report in Form 3CEB it extends to 30 November 2026.

Section 139(4) — the belated return. If you miss 31 July 2026, you may still file a belated return up to 31 December 2026 or before the completion of the assessment, whichever is earlier. A belated return is a valid return, but it carries costs discussed below and forfeits certain rights, such as the ability to carry forward business and capital losses.

Section 139(5) — the revised return. A return already filed can be revised to correct an omission or a wrong statement. For AY 2026-27 the revised return may also be filed up to 31 December 2026. Both an original and a belated return can be revised.

Section 139(8A) — the updated return (ITR-U). Introduced to let taxpayers voluntarily correct their record, the updated return window was widened by the Finance Act 2025 to 48 months from the end of the relevant assessment year, up from the earlier 24 months. It comes with additional tax and cannot be used to claim or increase a refund or to reduce declared income.

The table below summarises the AY 2026-27 calendar. The distinction between an assessment year and a financial year trips up first-time filers every season; if it is new to you, read our short explainer on the assessment year and on what the ITR is before you begin.

The statutory text of Section 139 is published on the Income Tax Department portal and the consolidated Income-tax Act, 1961 is maintained on India Code. Always confirm the year's dates against these before you file, because the Central Board of Direct Taxes occasionally notifies extensions.

Worked Example

Consider Meera, a salaried employee in Bengaluru with a gross salary of Rs 14,00,000 for Financial Year 2025-26 and no other income. She files under the default new tax regime and wants to know her liability and her deadline.

She first reduces her salary by the new-regime standard deduction of Rs 75,000, leaving a taxable income of Rs 13,25,000. She then applies the Finance Act 2025 new-regime slabs. The computation, slab by slab, is set out below.

Because Meera's taxable income of Rs 13,25,000 exceeds the Section 87A rebate threshold of Rs 12,00,000 for the new regime, she does not get the rebate of up to Rs 60,000. She adds the health and education cess of 4% on Rs 78,750, which is Rs 3,150, taking her total tax to Rs 81,900.

The rebate cliff is worth pausing on. Had Meera's taxable income been exactly Rs 12,00,000 — say a gross salary of Rs 12,75,000 less the Rs 75,000 standard deduction — her slab tax would have been Rs 60,000, and the Section 87A rebate of up to Rs 60,000 would have wiped it out entirely, leaving nil tax for FY 2025-26. A single rupee above the Rs 12,00,000 line changes the arithmetic sharply, which is why marginal relief exists and why you should run the numbers rather than guess. Our income tax calculator applies these slabs and the rebate automatically, and the old-vs-new regime comparison shows whether Meera would pay less by claiming deductions under the old regime instead.

Meera's return is a non-audit individual case, so her Section 139(1) due date is 31 July 2026. If she files on, say, 15 August 2026, her return is treated as belated under Section 139(4), which is still valid up to 31 December 2026 but attracts the late-filing costs set out next.

The Cost of Missing 31 July 2026

Filing late is not merely a paperwork inconvenience; it carries defined monetary costs under two separate sections.

Section 234F — fee for default in furnishing return. A taxpayer who files after the Section 139(1) due date pays a late-filing fee of Rs 5,000. Where total income does not exceed Rs 5,00,000, the fee is capped at Rs 1,000. This fee is payable in addition to any tax and interest due.

Section 234A — interest for late filing. Where tax remains unpaid after the due date, interest accrues at 1% per month or part of a month on the unpaid amount from the day after 31 July 2026 until the date the return is filed. Because a part of a month counts as a full month, filing on 1 August rather than 31 July can itself trigger a full month's interest.

Beyond these charges, a belated return under Section 139(4) forfeits the right to carry forward business losses and capital losses to future years — a cost that can dwarf the Rs 5,000 fee for anyone who sold shares or property at a loss during FY 2025-26.

Common Mistakes

The pitfalls below recur year after year in Income Tax Department scrutiny and in defective-return notices under Section 139(9).

Treating 31 December 2026 as the real deadline. The belated-return window under Section 139(4) is a safety net, not a substitute for the 31 July 2026 date. Relying on it means paying the Section 234F fee of up to Rs 5,000, paying Section 234A interest at 1% per month, and losing loss carry-forward rights.

Filing but not e-verifying within 30 days. A return is not treated as furnished until it is verified. Since the return-verification timeline was shortened to 30 days from the date of uploading, an unverified return filed on 31 July 2026 but verified on, say, 5 September 2026 is treated as filed on the verification date — making it belated. If your employer has already deducted TDS on salary, verifying late can needlessly delay your tax refund.

Ignoring advance-tax dues before filing. Section 234A interest is separate from the interest under Sections 234B and 234C for short payment of advance tax. Salaried taxpayers with significant income outside salary — capital gains, interest, rent — often forget that advance tax was due in instalments during FY 2025-26, and discover the interest only at filing.

Mismatching the return with the Annual Information Statement. The Income Tax Department pre-populates the AIS and Form 26AS with reported interest, dividends and high-value transactions. A return that omits income shown there is the most common trigger for a notice; reconcile every figure before you submit by 31 July 2026.

Picking the wrong regime by default. For FY 2025-26 the new regime is the default. Taxpayers with large deductions — housing loan interest, insurance, or old-regime-only benefits — sometimes file under the new regime by inertia and pay more than they needed to. Compare both before filing.

FAQ

What is the ITR due date for AY 2026-27 for salaried individuals?

For a salaried individual whose accounts are not subject to audit, the due date under Section 139(1) for Assessment Year 2026-27 is 31 July 2026. This covers income earned during Financial Year 2025-26.

Can I still file my return after 31 July 2026?

Yes. Under Section 139(4) you can file a belated return up to 31 December 2026 or before completion of the assessment, whichever is earlier. A belated return attracts a Section 234F fee of up to Rs 5,000 and Section 234A interest at 1% per month on any unpaid tax.

What is the late-filing fee under Section 234F?

The fee is Rs 5,000 for filing after the due date. It is reduced to Rs 1,000 where the taxpayer's total income does not exceed Rs 5,00,000. The fee is in addition to tax and interest.

How long do I have to file an updated return (ITR-U)?

Section 139(8A), as amended by the Finance Act 2025, allows an updated return to be filed within 48 months from the end of the relevant assessment year. An updated return carries additional tax and cannot be used to claim or increase a refund or to reduce reported income.

Do I have to e-verify my return, and by when?

Yes. A return is not treated as validly furnished until verified, and verification must be completed within 30 days of uploading. If you verify after 30 days, the date of verification becomes the date of filing, which can push an on-time return into belated territory.

Will filing late delay my refund?

It can. Refunds are processed only after a return is filed and verified, so a return filed close to 31 December 2026 and verified later will see its refund processed correspondingly later. Filing by 31 July 2026 and verifying immediately is the fastest route to a refund.

What is the due date if my accounts need to be audited?

For taxpayers whose accounts are subject to audit, the Section 139(1) due date for AY 2026-27 is 31 October 2026, and for those required to furnish a transfer-pricing report in Form 3CEB it is 30 November 2026.