A return is filed against a background of what the department already knows: tax deducted from your receipts, specified transactions reported by banks and others, and the turnover reported under GST. If the return and these records disagree, the difference surfaces as an adjustment, a mismatch message, or a notice. A short reconciliation before filing is cheaper than a reply afterwards.
Which due date applies
For assessment year 2026-27, which covers income of FY 2025-26 under the Income-tax Act, 1961, the due dates depend on the category of the filer. As the law stood on 21 July 2026:
- 31 July 2026: filers other than those below, such as individuals without business or professional income.
- 31 August 2026: persons with business or professional income whose accounts are not required to be audited, and partners of such firms.
- 31 October 2026: companies, persons whose accounts are required to be audited, and partners of audited firms.
- 30 November 2026: persons who must report international or specified domestic transactions under section 92E.
Update, 3 October 2026. By CBDT Circular No. 07/2026 of 28 September 2026, the 31 October date was extended to 21 November 2026 for the category that includes companies and audited filers, and the audit-report date to 21 October 2026. See the regulatory updates.
1. Download the statements
From the e-filing portal, take the Annual Information Statement (AIS), the Taxpayer Information Summary, and Form 26AS for the year. Save them as they were on the day of the review, since the records are updated over time.
2. Reconcile tax deducted at source
- List credits in Form 26AS by deductor and TAN.
- Agree each credit to the receipt and the TDS certificate in the books.
- Where the deduction is shown in a different year from the income, note the reason and the year in which the credit will be claimed.
- For deductions not appearing at all, ask the deductor to correct the statement before the return is filed.
3. Reconcile receipts and specified transactions
- Compare interest, dividends, rent, professional receipts, and sale proceeds in the AIS with the books.
- Explain each difference: timing, a different head of income, a duplicate entry, or an entry that is not the filer’s.
- Where an AIS entry is wrong, record feedback on the portal rather than leaving it unexplained.
4. Compare with GST data
The AIS also reports turnover from GST returns. Compare it with revenue in the books and with GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B for the year. The difference between revenue in the accounts and turnover in the returns is expected in some cases, such as exempt income and timing, but it should be a difference that has an explanation on file. See the GST reconciliation checklist.
5. Taxes paid and brought-forward items
- List advance tax and self-assessment tax challans, and agree them to the portal.
- Confirm the schedule of brought-forward losses and unabsorbed depreciation from earlier returns.
- Check the computation of interest for late payment of advance tax or late filing before submitting.
6. After submission
A return is complete only when verified. Verify electronically within the time the rules allow, and save the acknowledgment with the working papers. Reconcile the processed intimation to the return when it arrives; see what to collect when a notice arrives.
Records to keep ready
- AIS, Taxpayer Information Summary, and Form 26AS, saved on the review date
- TDS certificates and the reconciliation by deductor
- Books and computation of income for the year
- Advance tax and self-assessment tax challans
- Loss and depreciation schedules from earlier years