ITR deadline August 31: Who must file ITR-3, 4, 5, 7

New Delhi: The Income Tax Department has urged taxpayers who fall under the non-audit category to complete their income tax return filing before the August 31, 2026 deadline. The reminder applies to taxpayers required to file ITR-3, ITR-4, ITR-5 and ITR-7, depending on their income, legal status and tax obligations.

The department said more than 6.5 crore ITRs had already been filed for Assessment Year (AY) 2026-27 as of August 20, including more than 2 crore ITR-3 and ITR-4 returns. Taxpayers who have not yet filed have been advised not to wait until the final days because of the possibility of increased traffic and last-minute errors.

August 31 deadline applies to specific taxpayers

The July 31 deadline applied to many individual taxpayers, including those filing ITR-1 and ITR-2. However, taxpayers with business or professional income who are not required to get their accounts audited have a later deadline of August 31, 2026.

This category primarily covers taxpayers who need to use ITR-3 or ITR-4 because of business or professional income.

The August 31 deadline also applies to certain taxpayers and entities filing ITR-5 and ITR-7 where the applicable conditions are met and the accounts are not subject to audit.

Who should file ITR-3?

ITR-3 is generally used by individuals and Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) who have income from a business or profession and are not eligible to use the simpler ITR-4 form.

This can include taxpayers with:

• Business or professional income
• Income from salary or pension along with business or professional income
• Capital gains
• Income from house property
• Income from other sources

The correct form depends on the taxpayer’s overall income profile and eligibility conditions.

Taxpayers who are unsure whether they qualify for ITR-3 or ITR-4 should verify the applicable conditions before submitting their return.

Who should file ITR-4?

ITR-4, also known as Sugam, is intended for eligible resident individuals, HUFs and firms other than LLPs who meet the prescribed conditions and choose the presumptive taxation scheme for eligible business or professional income.

For example, certain small businesses and professionals can use presumptive taxation under provisions such as Sections 44AD, 44ADA and 44AE, subject to the relevant eligibility requirements.

Freelancers and professionals who qualify for presumptive taxation under Section 44ADA may therefore fall within the ITR-4 category.

However, ITR-4 cannot be used by every person earning professional or business income. Taxpayers must first check whether they satisfy all the conditions prescribed for the form.

Who should file ITR-5?

ITR-5 is used by certain entities that are not individuals, HUFs or companies.

These can include:

• Firms
• Limited Liability Partnerships
• Association of Persons
• Body of Individuals
• Certain estates
• Certain other entities covered under the Income Tax Act

The applicable deadline depends on whether the taxpayer’s accounts are subject to audit or other special compliance requirements.

The Income Tax Department made the online utility for ITR-5 available earlier in August, followed by the offline utility.

Who should file ITR-7?

ITR-7 is generally applicable to entities that are required to file returns under specific sections of the Income Tax Act, including certain trusts, political parties and other organisations.

The form is not meant for ordinary individual taxpayers.

The Income Tax Department enabled the online ITR-7 utility for AY 2026-27 on August 11 and subsequently made its offline utility available on August 14.

Entities required to use ITR-7 should ensure that they meet the relevant filing requirements and applicable due date.

Why taxpayers should not wait until August 31

The Income Tax Department’s latest reminder comes as millions of returns have already been filed.

Waiting until the final day can create problems if taxpayers encounter difficulties while uploading documents, validating information or completing e-verification.

It can also leave little time to correct mistakes before the deadline.

Taxpayers should therefore reconcile their income and tax information before submitting the return.

Check AIS and Form 26AS

Before filing, taxpayers should verify the information available in their Annual Information Statement (AIS) and Form 26AS.

These records can contain details of income, tax deducted at source, tax collected at source and other financial information reported to the tax department.

Any mismatch should be examined before the return is submitted.

For business and professional taxpayers, this process can be particularly important because income, expenses, advance tax and other financial details may need to be reported accurately.

Keep business and professional records ready

Taxpayers filing ITR-3 or ITR-4 should ensure that their business or professional income is correctly calculated.

Depending on the method of taxation, they may need information relating to:

• Gross receipts or turnover
• Eligible business expenses
• Professional receipts
• Bank transactions
• TDS and TCS
• Advance tax
• Capital gains, where applicable
• Other taxable income

Those using presumptive taxation should also confirm that they meet the conditions of the relevant scheme before selecting it.

What happens if the deadline is missed?

Missing the applicable due date does not necessarily mean that a taxpayer can never file a return.

A belated return may be filed after the original deadline, subject to the applicable provisions, fees and other consequences. However, filing late can increase the taxpayer’s compliance burden and may affect certain benefits.

Interest may also apply where tax remains unpaid.

Taxpayers should therefore not assume that they can simply ignore the August 31 deadline and deal with the return later.

Audit cases have a different deadline

The August 31 date should not be confused with the deadline applicable to taxpayers whose accounts are required to be audited.

Taxpayers covered by tax-audit requirements generally have a later return filing deadline, with October 31, 2026 applicable to audit cases under the current schedule.

Certain taxpayers covered by transfer-pricing provisions have a still later deadline.

Therefore, the correct due date depends on the taxpayer’s category rather than simply the ITR form being used.

ITR filing for AY 2026-27

The returns being filed now relate to AY 2026-27, covering income earned during FY 2025-26.

The Income Tax Department has clarified that taxpayers should distinguish these returns from the new tax-year compliance framework. The return for income earned during FY 2026-27 will be filed in the following assessment cycle.

This distinction is particularly important because taxpayers may otherwise confuse the current filing requirement with the tax year that began in April 2026.

More than 6.5 crore returns already filed

The scale of filing activity has been substantial.

According to the Income Tax Department, more than 6.5 crore returns had been filed for AY 2026-27 by August 20. More than 2 crore of these were ITR-3 and ITR-4 returns.

The department’s latest appeal is therefore aimed at taxpayers who are still pending, particularly those covered by the August 31 deadline.

Taxpayers should choose the correct form

One of the most important steps before filing is selecting the correct ITR form.

Using an incorrect form can result in the return being treated as defective and may require the taxpayer to respond or file a corrected return.

Business owners, freelancers, professionals, partners in firms and other taxpayers with non-salary income should pay particular attention to the distinction between ITR-3 and ITR-4.

Similarly, entities such as firms, LLPs and eligible organisations need to determine whether ITR-5 or ITR-7 applies to them.

Don’t leave verification until the last minute

Filing the return is not necessarily the final step.

After submission, taxpayers should complete the required e-verification process within the prescribed period. A return that has been submitted but not properly verified can create additional compliance issues.

It is therefore advisable to complete the entire process well before the August 31 deadline rather than submitting the return at the last moment.

Conclusion

The Income Tax Department has urged taxpayers covered by the August 31, 2026 deadline to file their ITRs without waiting for the last day. The deadline primarily covers eligible non-audit taxpayers with business or professional income, along with certain entities filing ITR-5 and ITR-7.

More than 6.5 crore ITRs had already been filed for AY 2026-27 as of August 20, including more than 2 crore ITR-3 and ITR-4 returns.

Taxpayers should check their AIS and Form 26AS, reconcile their income and tax details, select the correct ITR form and complete e-verification. Those whose accounts require an audit should follow their separate applicable deadlines.

With the August 31 deadline approaching, filing early can help taxpayers avoid technical problems, documentation gaps and last-minute errors.