ITR Forms Sahaj and Sugam: All you need to know before you file your income tax return

Mint

16-05-2025

As income tax return (ITR) filing season is here, taxpayers will start filing their returns as soon as the excel utility is released. The tax department has already notified various tax forms including ITR-1, ITR-2, ITR-3, ITR-4, ITR-5, ITR-6 and ITR-7.
Meanwhile, the tax department is also running an awareness campaign to apprise taxpayers about various nuances of tax filing. In the latest post of 'Let's learn tax', the income tax department answered these questions -- who should file, why to file, when to file and how to file.
Here, we give a lowdown on different income tax return (ITR) forms which taxpayers are supposed to file:
It can be filed by a resident individual whose total income does not exceed ₹ 50 lakh during the financial year.
The income can be from salary, one house property, family pension income, agricultural income (up to ₹ 5,000), and other sources, which include interest from savings accounts, interest from deposits (bank /post office/ cooperative Society), interest from income tax refund, interest received on enhanced compensation, any other interest income and family pension.
ITR-1 can also be filed by someone whose income of spouse (other than those covered under Portuguese Civil Code) or Minor is clubbed (only if the source of income is within the specified limits as mentioned above).
But ITR-1 can not be filed by an individual who is a resident not ordinarily Resident (RNOR), and Non-Resident Indian (NRI), has total income exceeding ₹ 50 lakh, has agricultural income exceeding ₹ 5,000, has income from lottery, racehorses, legal gambling, has taxable capital gains (short term and long term), has invested in unlisted equity shares, has income from business or profession, is a director in a company, has tax deduction under section 194N of Income Tax Act, has deferred income tax on ESOP received from employer being an eligible start-up, owns and has income from more than one house property.
ITR-4 can be filed by a resident individual who has income not exceeding ₹ 50 lakh during the financial year and has income from business/profession which is computed on a presumptive basis under sections 44AD, 44ADA or 44AE.
The return is also filed by someone who has income from salary/pension, one house property, agricultural income (upto ₹ 5,000) and other sources which include interest from savings account, interest from deposit, interest from income tax refund, family pension, interest received on enhanced compensation and any other interest income (e.g., interest income from unsecured loan).
But ITR-4 can not be filed by someone who is a resident but not ordinarily resident (RNOR), or non-resident Indian, has total income exceeding ₹ 50 lakh, has agricultural income in excess of ₹ 5,000, is a director in a company, and has income from more than one House Property.
Visit here for all personal finance updates.