The Income Tax Department has begun the phased rollout of online filing and Excel utilities for ITR-1, ITR-2 and ITR-4 on the e-filing portal for Assessment Year (AY) 2026-27. With the utilities now available, taxpayers can start filing income tax returns for Financial Year (FY) 2025-26.

While the annual tax filing process may appear routine, several important changes in ITR forms and disclosure requirements could impact how individuals, salaried employees, landlords, and small business owners file their returns this year.

Here's a point-by-point look at the key changes for AY 2026-27:

1. Unrealised rent

A significant change has been introduced for taxpayers earning rental income.

For AY 2026-27, ITR-1 and ITR-4 forms now include a dedicated field titled "The amount of rent which cannot be realized."