Every year around June, the same thing happens. People open their income tax portal, stare at it for a few minutes, and close the tab. The return feels complicated, so it gets pushed to "next weekend" until the deadline is suddenly a week away.
It really doesn't need to be that stressful. Most salaried returns are straightforward once your paperwork is in one place. So before you sit down to file, run through this checklist. We use a version of it with clients in Bengaluru, Pune, Coimbatore, and smaller towns alike, and it saves a lot of back-and-forth.
Start by pulling everything into a single folder, digital or physical, whichever you'll actually use. You'll want your Form 16 from your employer, your PAN and Aadhaar, and your bank account details for any refund.
Also download your Annual Information Statement (AIS) and Form 26AS from the income tax portal. These show the income and TDS already reported against your PAN. If your Form 16 and 26AS don't match, that's worth sorting out before you file, not after a notice arrives.
This is where people lose out. Under the old regime, Section 80C covers the familiar ones — EPF, PPF, life insurance premiums, ELSS, and children's tuition fees, up to ₹1.5 lakh. But there are others that quietly add up.
Health insurance premiums under 80D, interest on an education loan under 80E, and the additional NPS deduction under 80CCD(1B) are commonly missed. If you pay rent but don't get HRA, look at Section 80GG. Pick the regime — old or new — after you've added these up, not before.
Savings account interest, fixed deposit interest, a bit of freelance work on the side, capital gains from selling shares or mutual funds — all of it belongs on your return, even if TDS was already deducted.
The department already sees most of this through your AIS. Leaving it out is the fastest way to get a mismatch notice. Reporting it honestly, and claiming the TDS credit, is almost always simpler than explaining an omission later.
Most salaried individuals with one house property and normal income use ITR-1. The moment you add capital gains, more than one house, or foreign assets, you move to ITR-2. Business or professional income usually means ITR-3 or ITR-4.
Choosing the wrong form is a common reason returns get treated as defective. If you're unsure, it's worth a quick check before filing rather than a correction afterwards.
Filing isn't finished until you verify. You have 30 days to e-verify, usually via Aadhaar OTP, net banking, or a pre-validated bank account. Miss it, and the return is treated as never filed.
Set a reminder for the same day you file. It takes two minutes and closes the loop cleanly.
If any part of this feels unclear — the regime choice, capital gains, or a mismatch you can't explain — that's exactly the kind of thing we help with. Get your documents together, and reach out if you'd like a second pair of eyes before you file.
Get practical, document-led support for ITR, GST, TDS, and tax notices — anywhere in India.
Speak directly with our tax and accounting team today.
TaxNora is a Bengaluru-based tax and accounting practice supporting individuals, firms, and companies with filing, registration, accounts, and compliance.
+91 7349303187
