The last few days ahead of the income tax return (ITR) filing deadline see a large number of taxpayers rushing to file their ITR. As the July 31, 2026, deadline of ITR filing of Forms 1 and 2 is just around the corner, many taxpayers are expected to file their forms in a hurry. But in a haste, many of them can make mistakes that may result in the non-submission of their form or the rejection of it. They can also lead to ITR filing delays or may even make the return invalid. Such small mistakes can be incorrect personal details, mismatched income information, validation errors or forgetting to e-verify the return.
Chartered accountant, Abhishek Soni, CEO & co-founder, Tax2win, explains five such common ITR filing mistakes that may cost you dearly ahead of the July 31 deadline:
Not e-verifying your ITR after submission
Filing the return is only the first step. You must e-verify your ITR within the prescribed time. If you fail to do so, the Income Tax Department treats the return as invalid, which means it is considered as if it was never filed.
How to pick the right ITR form – Here’s the guide
Mismatch in PAN, Aadhaar, or personal details
Errors in PAN, Aadhaar, date of birth, or bank account details can cause validation errors during filing. Even a small mismatch may stop the return from being submitted successfully.
Not reconciling income with Form 16, Form 26AS, and AIS
Before filing, taxpayers should verify that income and TDS details in their ITR match the information available in Form 16, Form 26AS and the Annual Information Statement (AIS). Any mismatch can trigger validation errors or prevent successful submission.
Leaving mandatory fields incomplete
Missing bank account details, incomplete schedules, incorrect IFSC codes, or other mandatory information can result in errors during validation and stop the ITR from being filed.
Technical issues due to last-minute filing
Waiting until the last day increases the chances of facing portal slowdowns, login problems, OTP delays, or session timeouts because of heavy traffic. Filing a few days before the deadline gives taxpayers enough time to fix any errors and avoid submission failures.
What happens if I file Income Tax Return after the due date u/s 139(1)?
Filing before the deadline is very important as you have to pay the penalty and also lose some benefits. In case you miss filing the ITR within the due date u/s 139(1), you can still file your ITR, but you may be required to pay a late filing fee of up to Rs 5,000/-. Additionally, you will also be required to pay interest on the tax liability (if any).
Who needs to file ITR by July 31, 2026
The July 31 deadline for filing income tax return (ITRs) applies to salaried individuals, pensioners, students and others who don’t need to undergo a tax audit. This year, the tax filing process for a lot of taxpayers is smoother compared to earlier years thanks to the Income Tax Department (I-T) working to fix technical glitches. Plus, they released the tax forms for AY 2026-2027 a lot earlier than last year (AY 2025-2026), which helped spread out the load on the ITR e-filing system over a longer period.
aniltikotekar4sme.com 