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The Income Tax Department has already released all major Income Tax Return (ITR) forms for Assessment Year 2027, including updated return forms and Excel utilities for offline filing. However, tax experts are advising salaried taxpayers not to rush into filing their returns immediately, even though the filing portal is now active.

According to experts, filing ITR before June 15 may increase the chances of receiving mismatch notices from the Income Tax Department. This is because several important financial records and tax-related documents may not yet be fully updated in the system before mid-June.

While early filing is generally considered a smart financial practice, experts believe that filing too early without verifying all income details can create unnecessary complications later. Here’s why salaried individuals should wait until June 15 before filing their ITR and who can safely file returns earlier.

Why Salaried Taxpayers Should Avoid Filing ITR Too Early

Most salaried individuals depend on multiple tax documents while preparing their income tax returns. These include:

• Form 16
• Form 16A
• Form 26AS
• AIS (Annual Information Statement)

These documents contain critical financial information such as:

• Salary income details
• TDS deductions
• Bank interest earnings
• Property transactions
• Capital gains
• GST-related transactions
• Mutual fund investments
• Securities trading details

Banks, employers, mutual fund houses, brokers, and other reporting entities usually get time until May 31 to upload and reconcile financial data with the Income Tax Department.

After this, updated information generally starts reflecting in AIS and related records within seven to ten days. This means complete and accurate data may only become visible around June 15.

If salaried taxpayers file their returns before the updated information appears, there could be mismatches between declared income and official records. Such mismatches can trigger automated notices from the Income Tax Department.

How Early Filing Can Create Problems

Many taxpayers assume that filing returns immediately after the forms are released helps in faster processing and refunds. While that may be true in some cases, filing before all records are updated can backfire.

For example:

• Interest income from savings accounts or fixed deposits may not yet appear.
• TDS entries could still be pending.
• Capital gains data from brokers or mutual funds may not be fully updated.
• Property-related transactions may still be under reconciliation.

If taxpayers submit returns using incomplete data, the department’s system may later detect inconsistencies. This can lead to notices asking for clarification or revised filings.

Although taxpayers still get time until December 31, 2026, to revise returns or correct mistakes, the process can become stressful and time-consuming.

ITR Forms and Utilities Already Released

The Income Tax Department has officially notified all ITR forms from ITR-1 to ITR-7 for the current assessment year.

Additionally, the department has also released updated Excel utilities for ITR-1 and ITR-4, allowing taxpayers to prepare returns offline before uploading them online.

The updated ITR-U form for revised filings has also been introduced.

These updates have made the filing process smoother, but experts still recommend waiting until financial data is fully reflected in the system before submitting returns.

Who Can File ITR Before June 15?

Not every taxpayer needs to wait until mid-June.

Experts say certain categories of non-salaried taxpayers may safely file returns earlier if their financial records are simple and fully available.

Taxpayers Who May File Early

• Individuals not dependent on Form 16
• Taxpayers with only fixed income sources
• Individuals earning from rent or simple interest income
• Taxpayers without TDS or TCS deductions
• Investors without capital gains transactions pending in AIS

However, even in these cases, taxpayers should verify whether all financial transactions have already been updated in AIS before filing returns.

Why AIS Verification Is Important

The Annual Information Statement (AIS) has become one of the most important tools for income tax compliance.

AIS captures a wide range of financial information, including:

• Bank deposits
• Interest income
• Stock market transactions
• Mutual fund investments
• Foreign remittances
• Property purchases or sales
• Tax deductions

Experts recommend carefully matching personal records with AIS entries before filing returns. Any mismatch between taxpayer disclosures and AIS data can attract scrutiny.

Last Date for ITR Filing

Salaried taxpayers must still ensure that returns are filed before the official deadline to avoid penalties.

Important ITR Deadline for Salaried Individuals

• Last date for filing ITR-1 and ITR-2: July 31, 2026

Tax experts advise taxpayers not to wait until the final few days either, as technical glitches and heavy traffic on the portal often increase near the deadline.

Ideally, salaried individuals should begin document verification in early June and aim to file returns at least one week before the final due date.

What Taxpayers Should Do Before Filing

Before submitting returns, taxpayers should carefully verify:

• Form 16 details
• TDS entries in Form 26AS
• AIS transaction records
• Bank interest income
• Capital gains statements
• Deduction claims
• Rental income details
• Foreign income disclosures, if any

A little patience and proper verification can help taxpayers avoid notices, penalties, and unnecessary complications later.

Financial experts believe that waiting until June 15 could significantly reduce the risk of filing errors for salaried taxpayers this year.