Documents Needed to File Your Income Tax Return
Everything we need to file your income tax return for FY 2025-26: Form 16, AIS and 26AS, bank interest, capital gains statements, rent receipts, investment proofs and foreign assets — with a downloadable PDF checklist.
Most delays in filing come from one missing statement. Use this list before you send us your papers; items marked if applicable depend on your income.
Download this checklist as a PDF Send us the documents
Identity and basics
- PAN and Aadhaar (linked)
- Bank account details for the refund — account number and IFSC, pre-validated on the portal
- Last year's return and computation, if we did not file it
- Income-tax portal login (or we file as your e-return intermediary)
Salary
- Form 16 (Parts A and B) from every employer in the year
- Salary slips for March and any month with arrears or bonus
- Form 12BA for perquisites; ESOP/RSU statements
- Rent receipts and the landlord's PAN for HRA (rent above ₹1 lakh a year)
- Regime choice — new is the default; tell us if you want the old regime
Interest, dividends and other income
- Interest certificates from every bank and post office (savings, FDs, RDs)
- Dividend statements from the demat account or mutual fund
- Form 26AS and the Annual Information Statement (AIS) from the portal — we reconcile every entry
- Rental agreements, rent received, municipal tax paid and the home-loan interest certificate
Capital gains (if applicable)
- Capital gains statement from each broker and mutual fund house (CAMS/KFintech consolidated statement)
- Property sale deed, purchase deed, improvement bills and the buyer's Form 16B for TDS
- Cost as on 31 January 2018 for shares bought before then (grandfathering)
- Crypto exchange trade reports and TDS certificates (Form 16A under section 194S (393 of the 2025 Act))
Deductions (old regime only)
- PPF, ELSS, life insurance, tuition fee and home-loan principal receipts (section 80C; 123 of the 2025 Act)
- Health insurance premium receipts, preventive check-up bills (section 80D; 126 of the 2025 Act)
- NPS contribution statement (section 80CCD(1B); 124 of the 2025 Act)
- Donation receipts with the donee's PAN and Form 10BE (section 80G; 133 of the 2025 Act)
- Education-loan interest certificate (section 80E; 129 of the 2025 Act)
Foreign assets and income (if applicable)
- Foreign bank statements, foreign shares and ESOPs, overseas property — for Schedule FA (mandatory for residents)
- Foreign tax paid — for Form 67 and foreign tax credit
- Days abroad in the year, with passport stamps, if your residential status is close to the line
Before you send
- Download AIS from the portal before sending anything — it often shows interest and sale transactions people have forgotten.
- Send statements as PDFs, not screenshots; every page of a Form 16 matters.
- The due date is 31 July for ITR-1/ITR-2 and 31 August for business or professional returns without tax audit; a belated return can follow up to 31 December, with a fee of up to ₹5,000 and interest, and business and capital losses cannot then be carried forward.
Disclaimer. This page is a general reference prepared from the law and notifications as we understand them on the date shown. It is not legal, tax or professional advice and does not create a client relationship; rates, thresholds and due dates change and your position depends on facts we have not seen. Please confirm with us before acting on anything here. I. H. Khan and Associates accepts no liability for decisions taken on the basis of this page. Section numbers are those of the Income-tax Act, 2025, in force from 1 April 2026, with the 1961 Act number in brackets (pages about the FY 2025-26 return, which the 1961 Act still governs, quote that Act first) — see our section map.
Other checklists: NRI income tax return · GST registration · Private limited company · LLP registration · UAE company formation · Tax audit and annual accounts · NRI property sale
Questions we are asked
What documents do I need to file my income tax return for FY 2025-26? An income tax return for FY 2025-26 needs linked PAN and Aadhaar, a pre-validated bank account, Form 16 from every employer, AIS and Form 26AS, bank interest certificates, capital gains statements, rent receipts, investment proofs for old-regime deductions, and foreign asset details where applicable.
Why should I download the AIS before filing my income tax return? The Annual Information Statement (AIS) often shows interest and sale transactions people have forgotten, so download it from the portal before sending anything. Most filing delays come from one missing statement.
What documents are needed to report capital gains in an income tax return? Capital gains need the statement from each broker and mutual fund house, property sale and purchase deeds with improvement bills and the buyer's Form 16B, the 31 January 2018 cost for grandfathered shares, and crypto exchange trade reports with Form 16A for section 194S TDS.
What is the ITR due date and what does filing late cost? For FY 2025-26 the due date was 31 July 2026 for ITR-1/ITR-2 and 31 August 2026 for business or professional returns without tax audit (audit cases: 21 November 2026 after the CBDT extension). A belated return can still be filed up to 31 December 2026, with a fee of up to ₹5,000 and interest on unpaid tax, and business and capital losses cannot then be carried forward.
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