How to prepare for income tax return filing: a step-by-step checklist

• Salary: Form 16 or salary slips from each employer you had during the year.
• Interest: certificates or statements from banks, fixed deposits and the post office.
• House property: rent received, municipal tax paid and home-loan interest certificates.
• Investments: statements for shares, mutual funds and any property you sold or bought.
• Business or profession: books of account, or at least a record of income and expenses, and your GST data if you are registered.

Sign in to the income tax portal and download your Form 26AS and the Annual Information Statement (AIS). They list the tax deducted on your behalf and many of the transactions reported about you by banks, employers and others.

Compare them with your own records. If something appears there that you do not recognise, find out what it is before you file; if something is missing, make sure you still report it.

Which form applies depends on who you are and what kinds of income you have. The Income Tax Department publishes the criteria for each form, and we apply them to your details. Using the wrong form can make the return defective, so confirm it before you start.

• Receipts and certificates for the investments and payments you intend to claim.
• Challans for any advance tax or self-assessment tax you paid.
• Details of your bank account where a refund should be credited. The account normally has to be validated on the portal.

After the return is submitted it still has to be verified, for example electronically, before it is treated as filed. Keep the acknowledgement and the verification record with your tax papers.

• The department processes the return and sends an intimation. Read it and compare it with your computation.
• If a refund is due, follow its status on the portal.
• If you notice a mistake, ask whether a revised return is possible and how long you have, since the rules and time limits are set by law.
• Keep your documents; you may be asked to explain a figure later.

• Income tax filing in Modasa
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• TDS, TCS & taxation support in Modasa

The rules, forms and due dates for this work are published by the authorities. Always check them for the current position:

• Income Tax e-filing portal (incometax.gov.in)(opens in a new tab)
• Income Tax Department: which ITR form applies(opens in a new tab)