How to File ITR for the First Time: Steps and Dates

A first-time filer picks a form, checks the pre-filled tax data and e-verifies the return. The due date of 31 July 2026 has passed, so a return filed now is a belated return.
 

• Deadline: a belated return is accepted until 31 December 2026
• Late fee: Rs. 1,000 if total income is up to Rs. 5,00,000, and Rs. 5,000 above that
• Form: ITR-1 for a resident salaried individual with income up to Rs. 50,00,000
• Regime: the new regime applies unless you choose the old regime
• E-verification: within 30 days, or the return counts as not filed

• Tax: salary up to Rs. 12,75,000 pays no tax in the new regime

  
  

File even when your tax is nil. A filed return is documentary proof of income, which lenders such as Bajaj Finance can read alongside your salary slips.

You must file if your income before deductions exceeds the basic exemption limit. For financial year 2025-26, the limit is Rs. 4,00,000 in the new regime and Rs. 2,50,000 in the old regime, for an individual below age 60.

Five other triggers make filing compulsory, even below that limit.

If none applies, filing is still useful. It recovers any excess TDS. It also records your income for a loan or a visa, and it starts a filing history.

The due date for assessment year (AY) 2026-27 was 31 July 2026, and it has passed. A belated return stays open until 31 December 2026.
 

Interest under Section 234A applies at 1% per month on any tax that you still owe after 31 July 2026. Pay that tax before you file. A belated return also gives up the carry-forward of losses, except a loss from house property.

The Income Tax Act, 2025 applies from 1 April 2026. A return for FY 2025-26 still follows the Income Tax Act, 1961, so this page uses the 1961 section numbers.

Gather 6 documents before you file ITR for the first time, because the portal pre-fills part of the return from them.
 

Match Form 16 with the AIS before you submit. A mismatch between your return and the AIS can trigger a notice, so report every item that the AIS shows.

Most first-time salaried filers use ITR-1, called Sahaj. The form you choose must match your income sources, or the portal rejects the return.
 

If you earn freelance income, check ITR-4 before you choose ITR-1. Read the guide to the ITR-1 form for the full list of conditions.

The new regime applies by default, and you can choose the old regime when you file. The new regime gives a standard deduction of Rs. 75,000, and a salary of up to Rs. 12,75,000 pays no tax. The old regime gives Rs. 50,000 and allows deductions such as Section 80C, up to Rs. 1,50,000.

The trade-off is simple. The old regime pays off only when your deductions outweigh its higher slab rates. A first-year employee with no investments and no home loan interest has no such deductions. Compare both regimes in the worked example below before you decide.

Follow these 8 steps to file ITR for the first time, with Form 16 and the AIS open beside the portal.
 

1. Log in to the e-filing portal of the Income Tax Department with your PAN and password.
2. Select the option to file an income tax return, then choose assessment year 2026-27 and the online mode.
3. Select the status of Individual, then choose the form, such as ITR-1.
4. Check the pre-filled salary, interest and TDS against Form 16 and the AIS.
5. Enter any income that is missing, and enter your deductions if you choose the old regime.
6. Choose the tax regime and read the tax that the portal calculates.
7. Pay any balance tax through the portal, then preview the return.
8. Submit the return and e-verify it on the same day.

E-verify within 30 days of submitting the return, or the Income Tax Department treats it as not filed. You can e-verify with an Aadhaar one-time password (OTP), through net banking, or with an electronic verification code from your bank account.

Download the acknowledgement after verification, and keep it with your Form 16. Your refund, if any, starts only after e-verification. Read how to e-verify your income tax return and the guide to ITR refund time.

Ananya Reddy, 24, lives in Hyderabad and earns Rs. 55,000 a month, with a CIBIL Score of 728. She joined her first job in June 2025, so her salary for FY 2025-26 is 10 months, or Rs. 5,50,000. Her employer deducted Rs. 6,000 of TDS in her first 3 months, before she chose the new regime on the payroll system.
 

Formula used: Taxable income = gross salary − standard deduction. Tax payable = slab tax − Section 87A rebate. Refund = TDS deducted − tax payable.
 

Ananya files on 7 October 2026 and e-verifies the same day. She receives Rs. 6,000, pays a Rs. 1,000 late fee and nets Rs. 5,000. A return filed by 31 July 2026 would have cost her nothing.

Bajaj Finance assesses income, existing obligations and credit record. A filed return is documentary proof of the income that you declare, so the figures in it should match your salary slips.

Filing a return for the first time does not change your CIBIL Score, because the score depends on your repayment history. If you plan to buy a home within 2 years, file on time and e-verify, so that your return history is complete.

Approval timelines can extend where income figures in the return and the salary slips need clarification, and minimum income thresholds can differ by city. Check your home loan eligibility before you apply.