Breathe — you still have time
Every July, lakhs of salaried Indians file in the final 48 hours. You are not alone. The trick is prioritising completeness over perfection: report every AIS line, pick the right ITR form, pay any balance tax, and e-verify. Cosmetic 80C tuning can wait for a revised return if you are eligible.
This is not legal advice — verify dates on incometax.gov.in for AY 2026-27.
Hour 0–1: Documents only (no portal yet)
- Download Form 16 Part A + B from every employer — two Form 16s if you changed jobs
- Download AIS and Form 26AS same session — how they differ
- Circle every AIS line that is not salary from Form 16 (FD interest, old employer, broker sales)
Skip broker P&L deep-dives unless you sold shares — if you did, you likely need ITR-2, not ITR-1.
Hour 1–3: Regime + form decision
Run old vs new regime on combined income, not employer default. New regime gives higher standard deduction on salary; old regime unlocks 80C, 80D, and HRA.
Pick ITR-1 only if salary + one house + simple interest, no capital gains. When unsure, read ITR-1 salaried guide.
Hour 3–6: Enter numbers and fix mismatches
- Match employer TDS: Form 16 Part A → 26AS / TDS schedule
- Add bank interest from AIS to other sources
- Pay self-assessment tax if computation shows payable — filing without paying creates interest later
Use Form 16 upload to reduce typing — verify every field manually.
Hour 6+: Submit on incometax.gov.in + e-verify
LastMinute ITR does not file for you. Copy verified figures to the government portal, submit, then e-verify within 30 days — unverified returns are treated as invalid.
Keep acknowledgment PDF and computation sheet for seven years.
What you should do
- Refresh AIS download within 48 hours of submit — stale May AIS misses June TDS
- Fix AIS mismatches before upload, not after a notice
- If overwhelmed, file clean salary + interest first; complex schedules may need a CA — see file without CA guide
Common mistake
Filing at 11:59 pm with only Form 16. AIS often shows FD interest your employer never saw. Zero tax due on Form 16 does not mean zero extra liability after AIS.
Second mistake: wrong regime at the last minute — claiming 80C or HRA in new regime gives no benefit and wastes review time.
Related guides
Check your ITR with LastMinute before you hit submit on the portal.