Tax returns reach new milestone
Key Highlights
- More than 7.8 crore ITRs were filed for AY 2026-27.
- The figure was recorded as of August 31, 2026.
- Over 5.9 crore ITR-1 and ITR-2 forms were filed by July 31.
- Last year’s total filings exceeded 7.3 crore.
- August 31 was the deadline for several non-audit taxpayers.
New Delhi, September 1, 2026: India recorded more than 7.8 crore income tax return filings for Assessment Year 2026-27 as of August 31, according to the Income Tax Department.
The department said the figure represented a new record for income tax return filings.
The total includes more than 5.9 crore ITR-1 and ITR-2 forms that were filed by the July 31 deadline.
For the previous assessment year, more than 7.3 crore income tax returns had been filed by the extended deadline of September 16, 2025.
August 31, 2026, was the deadline for filing income tax returns for several taxpayers with business or professional income who were not subject to tax audit.
Applicable returns in the non-audit category include ITR-3, ITR-4, ITR-5 and ITR-7.
ITR-3 is generally used by individuals and Hindu Undivided Families with income from proprietary businesses or professions.
ITR-4 is designed for eligible small and medium taxpayers, while ITR-5 applies to firms, limited liability partnerships and cooperative societies.
ITR-7 is used by trusts and charitable institutions.
The record filing level highlights continued growth in income tax return submissions across different taxpayer categories.
