Tag: TDS reconciliation

  • ITR-2 Filing Guide for FY 2025-26: Step-by-Step Process, 26AS/AIS Reconciliation, and Old vs New Regime Tax Examples

    1) What is ITR-2 and who should file it

    ITR-2 is meant for individuals and Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) who do not have income from business or profession but have any of the following:

    • Capital gains (short-term or long-term)
    • Income from more than one house property
    • Foreign income or assets
    • Being a director in a company
    • Investments in unlisted equity shares

    If your only income is salary/pension, one house property, and total income ≤ ₹50 lakh, you may be eligible for ITR-1 instead — otherwise, use ITR-2.


    2) Documents to collect before filing

    • PAN & Aadhaar (linked)
    • Bank account details (IFSC, account number)
    • Form 16 from your employer
    • Form 16A / TDS certificates (from banks, others)
    • Form 26AS (TDS/TCS summary)
    • AIS (Annual Information Statement) and TIS
    • Bank statements (for savings interest)
    • Home loan interest certificate (if applicable)
    • Broker contract notes / capital gains statement
    • Investment proofs for deductions (80C, 80D, etc.)

    3) Important deadlines

    • For FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27), the last date for filing (non-audit) is 15 September 2026.
    • Belated return can be filed till 31 December 2026 but with a penalty.

    4) How income is reported in ITR-2

    • Salary → Schedule S
    • House Property → Schedule HP
    • Capital Gains → Schedule CG
    • Other Income → “Income from Other Sources” section
    • Deductions → Schedule VI-A
    • Taxes Paid / TDS → Tax Paid and Verification section

    5) Step-by-step filing process (online)

    1. Login to Income Tax e-filing portal
    2. Go to: e-File → Income Tax Returns → File Income Tax Return
    3. Select Assessment Year 2026-27 and choose ITR-2
    4. Select Prepare and Submit Online (prefilled data) or Upload JSON (offline utility)
    5. Review pre-filled data (salary, TDS, bank interest, etc.)
    6. Fill missing details:
      • Salary from Form 16
      • House property income/loss
      • Capital gains with purchase/sale dates and cost
      • Other income (bank interest, etc.)
      • Deductions under Chapter VI-A
    7. Verify TDS and taxes paid with Form 26AS/AIS
    8. Validate the form
    9. Submit and e-verify instantly (Aadhaar OTP, Netbanking, DSC, etc.)

    6) How to use Form 26AS & AIS

    Form 26AS shows all tax credits in your PAN — TDS from employer/bank, TCS, advance tax, and self-assessment tax.
    AIS shows a wider range of financial transactions — stock trades, interest income, property purchases, mutual fund investments, etc.

    Steps to reconcile:

    1. Download Form 26AS from the e-filing portal (redirects to TRACES)
    2. Download AIS/TIS from the portal
    3. Cross-check:
      • Salary TDS in Form 16 = Salary TDS in 26AS
      • Bank interest TDS = TDS in 26AS
      • Capital gains transactions in AIS match broker reports
    4. If mismatch — contact deductor to revise TDS statement or give feedback in AIS

    7) Example calculation — FY 2025-26 (Old Regime)

    Rahul has:

    • Salary: ₹12,00,000 (TDS ₹90,000)
    • Let-out property: rent ₹2,40,000, municipal tax ₹24,000, loan interest ₹1,20,000
    • Bank interest: ₹30,000 (TDS ₹3,000)
    • LTCG (listed shares after 23 Jul 2024): ₹1,50,000
    • Deduction 80C: ₹1,50,000

    House property income:
    Gross rent 2,40,000 − Municipal tax 24,000 = 2,16,000
    Less 30% standard deduction: 64,800 → 1,51,200
    Less interest: 1,20,000 → 31,200 taxable

    Total income before CG:
    Salary after standard deduction: 12,00,000 − 50,000 = 11,50,000

    • House property: 31,200
    • Bank interest: 30,000
      = 12,11,200
      Less 80C: 1,50,000 → 10,61,200

    Capital gains:
    LTCG 1,50,000 − Exemption 1,25,000 = 25,000 taxable @ 12.5% = ₹3,125

    Tax:
    Other income 10,61,200 under old slabs = ₹1,30,860
    Capital gains tax = ₹3,125
    Total = ₹1,33,985
    Cess @ 4% = ₹5,359 → ₹1,39,344
    Less TDS ₹93,000 → Pay ₹46,344


    8) Income-wise tax comparison (Old vs New Regime) — FY 2025-26

    Assumptions:

    • Salaried individual, resident, age < 60
    • No capital gains, only standard deduction (₹50,000) in both regimes
    • No other deductions in New Regime except standard deduction
    • Old Regime includes 80C = ₹1.5 lakh deduction
    Total Income (₹)Old Regime Tax (₹)New Regime Tax (₹)
    5,00,0000 (Rebate u/s 87A)0 (Rebate u/s 87A)
    10,00,0001,02,96075,400
    15,00,0002,58,9601,56,000
    20,00,0004,41,6002,88,400

    Incomes above ₹7 lakh in New Regime do not get full rebate — tax savings depend on deductions you can claim in Old Regime.


    9) Common mistakes to avoid

    • Relying fully on pre-filled data without verifying
    • Ignoring AIS entries — they may contain transactions you forgot to report
    • Not splitting capital gains before/after 23 July 2024 for correct tax rate
    • Missing e-verification — your return will be invalid without it
    • Filing in the wrong form (ITR-1 instead of ITR-2)

    Disclaimer

    This guide is for educational purposes only and is based on current tax rules applicable for FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27). Tax laws can change, and individual circumstances vary. Always verify figures with your own documents and consult a qualified tax professional before filing.