Blog
Income Tax

ITR-1 & ITR-4 Excel Utilities Released for AY 2026-27: Online Filing Now Live

The Income Tax Department has released the ITR-1 and ITR-4 Excel utilities for AY 2026-27 on 15 May 2026. Eligible taxpayers can now start filing income tax returns online or through the offline Excel utility for FY 2025-26.

—·2 min read
ITR-1ITR-4AY 2026-27Income Tax ReturnExcel UtilityIncome Tax FilingFY 2025-26SahajSugamSection 112APresumptive Taxation

ITR-1 and ITR-4 Excel Utilities Released for AY 2026-27

The Income Tax Department has officially released the ITR-1 and ITR-4 Excel utilities for Assessment Year (AY) 2026-27 on 15 May 2026. The update has been confirmed on the official Income Tax e-filing portal, where both online filing and Excel utility options are now live.

Taxpayers eligible for ITR-1 Sahaj and ITR-4 Sugam can now begin preparing and filing their income tax returns for Financial Year (FY) 2025-26.

For official updates, taxpayers can visit the Income Tax Department e-Filing Portal.

Who Can File ITR-1

ITR-1 Sahaj is meant for resident individuals having total income up to ₹50 lakh during the financial year.

This return form is suitable for taxpayers earning income from:

  • Salary or pension
  • One house property
  • Other sources such as bank interest
  • Agricultural income up to ₹5,000

The latest update also confirms that taxpayers with long-term capital gains under Section 112A up to ₹1.25 lakh can use ITR-1, subject to prescribed conditions.

Who Can File ITR-4

ITR-4 Sugam is applicable to:

  • Individuals
  • Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs)
  • Firms other than LLPs

The taxpayer must be a resident and have total income up to ₹50 lakh.

This form is mainly for taxpayers opting for presumptive taxation under:

  • Section 44AD for small businesses
  • Section 44ADA for specified professionals
  • Section 44AE for goods carriage businesses

The utility also allows reporting of long-term capital gains under Section 112A up to ₹1.25 lakh as mentioned in the released information.

Details of the Released Utilities

The Income Tax Department has released:

  • ITR-1 Excel Utility Version 1.0
  • ITR-4 Excel Utility Version 1.0

Both were made available on 15 May 2026 along with JSON schemas and validation files.

Taxpayers who prefer offline preparation can download the Excel utility, fill in details, validate the return, generate a JSON file, and upload it to the e-filing portal.

The department’s official offline filing guide is available at Offline Utility User Manual.

Why This Update Is Important

The release of the Excel utilities marks the beginning of the income tax return filing season for AY 2026-27. Salaried employees, pensioners, freelancers, professionals, and small business owners can now start preparing their returns early and avoid last-minute filing issues.

Early filing also helps taxpayers:

  • Verify Form 26AS and AIS properly
  • Claim refunds faster
  • Reduce chances of filing errors
  • Complete tax compliance on time

Conclusion

The release of ITR-1 and ITR-4 Excel utilities for AY 2026-27 is an important and current update from the Income Tax Department. Eligible taxpayers can now begin filing their income tax returns using either the online filing system or the offline Excel utility. Since the information has been officially confirmed on the Income Tax e-filing portal, taxpayers should start preparing their documents and complete filing well before the due date.