The Income Tax Department has released the Excel utilities for ITR-1 and ITR-4 forms for the financial year 2024-25 (assessment year 2025-26). The department announced on Friday that taxpayers can now start filing their returns.
The update was shared on social media platform X. The post said, "Attention taxpayers, Excel utility for ITR-1 and ITR-4 is now available." This step has been taken to make the return filing process smooth and easy.
Who can use the ITR-1 form?
The ITR-1 form, also called ‘Sahaj’, is for individuals with income from limited sources.
It is for resident individuals earning up to Rs 50 lakh.
It includes income from salary, one house property, interest income, long-term capital gains up to Rs 1.25 lakh under Section 112A, and agriculture income up to Rs 5,000.
Who can file the ITR-4 form?
The ITR-4 form is called ‘Sugam’. It is for individuals earning from small businesses or professions.
It can be used by resident individuals, Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), and firms (except LLPs).
The total annual income should be less than Rs 50 lakh.
Income must be calculated under sections 44AD, 44ADA, or 44AE.
It also includes LTCG up to rs 1.25 lakh under Section 112A.
New Deadline for ITR Filing: 15 September 2025
Earlier, the last date to file ITR was 31 July. Now, it has been extended to 15 September 2025.
The announcement was made by the Income Tax Department on 27 May.
Usually, ITR filing starts on 1 April, but this year there was a delay because required tools were not ready.
What Are e-Filing Utilities and Why Are They Important?
e-Filing utilities are software tools provided by the Income Tax Department. They help taxpayers file their returns correctly.
There are two types:
Online Utility:
Used mostly by salaried people. It comes with pre-filled data like salary, interest, and TDS.
JSON and Excel Utility:
Used by tax professionals. Data is filled offline and uploaded to the portal.
These tools are necessary for checking data, submitting forms, and system integration. Without them, return filing is not possible.
What If You Miss the Deadline?
If you don’t file your return by 15 September 2025:
If income is less than ₹5 lakh, penalty = ₹1,000.
If income is more than ₹5 lakh, penalty = ₹5,000.
Interest of 1% per month under Section 234A will apply on pending tax.
Losses from business or capital (except house property) can’t be carried forward next year.
