ITR-1 Sahaj Explained: Who Can File, Who Cannot, and How to File Online (AY 2026-27)
ITR-1, called Sahaj, is the one-page return for ordinarily resident individuals with total income up to ₹50 lakh from salary or pension, one house property, other sources such as interest, agricultural income up to ₹5,000, and long-term capital gains under section 112A of up to ₹1.25 lakh. It cannot be used by NRIs, company directors, holders of unlisted shares, anyone with business income, foreign assets, more than one house or capital gains beyond that allowance. The due date for AY 2026-27 is 31 July 2026.
Key facts, FY 2025-26
- Who
- Ordinarily resident individuals with total income up to ₹50 lakh
- Income allowed
- Salary or pension, one house property, other sources, agricultural income up to ₹5,000, LTCG under 112A up to ₹1.25 lakh
- Not for
- NRIs and RNORs, directors, unlisted shares, more than one house, business income, other capital gains, foreign assets or income, brought-forward losses, TDS under 194N
- Due date
- 31 July 2026; belated up to 31 December 2026 with a 234F fee of ₹5,000 (₹1,000 if income up to ₹5 lakh)
- How
- Online on the e-filing portal with prefilled data, or the offline utility and JSON upload
- E-verification
- Within 30 days of filing: Aadhaar OTP, net banking, bank EVC, or signed ITR-V to CPC Bengaluru
What it is
ITR-1 is the simplest income tax return. It has no capital gains schedule, no business schedule and no foreign asset schedule, which is exactly why it is quick to file and why so many people file it wrongly. The form asks for salary in the Form 16 format, one house property, other sources income, deductions under chapter VI-A and the tax paid.
From AY 2025-26 the form accepts a small amount of equity capital gains: long-term gains on listed shares and equity mutual funds under section 112A up to the ₹1.25 lakh exemption, provided there is no capital loss to set off or carry forward. Any other gain, short-term or long-term, still needs ITR-2.
The new tax regime is the default. ITR-1 lets you choose the old regime in the form itself, every year, without any separate declaration. Under the new regime the standard deduction is ₹75,000 and most chapter VI-A deductions are unavailable, except employer NPS contribution under 80CCD(2).
ITR-1 eligibility for AY 2026-27
| Item | Allowed in ITR-1 | If not, file |
|---|---|---|
| Residential status | Resident and ordinarily resident only | ITR-2 for NRI and RNOR |
| Total income | Up to ₹50 lakh | ITR-2 |
| Salary or pension | Yes, from one or more employers | n/a |
| House property | One, self-occupied or let out; no brought-forward loss | ITR-2 for two or more |
| Interest, dividend, family pension | Yes | n/a |
| Lottery, horse race winnings | No | ITR-2 |
| Capital gains | Only LTCG under 112A up to ₹1.25 lakh, no losses | ITR-2 |
| Agricultural income | Up to ₹5,000 | ITR-2 |
| Business, profession, F&O, intraday | No | ITR-3 or ITR-4 |
| Director in a company, unlisted shares, ESOP tax deferral | No | ITR-2 |
| Foreign assets, foreign income, DTAA relief | No | ITR-2 |
| TDS deducted under 194N (cash withdrawal) | No | ITR-2 |
Two points trip people up. Salary from more than one employer is fine in ITR-1; it is the number of houses, not employers, that is limited to one. And a let-out house is allowed, but a house with a brought-forward loss from an earlier year is not, because ITR-1 has no schedule for carried-forward losses.
How to file ITR-1 online
- Collect Form 16, Form 26AS, AIS and TIS, interest certificates, home loan interest certificate and rent receipts if claiming HRA.
- Log in at incometax.gov.in, go to e-File, then Income Tax Returns, then File Income Tax Return. Choose AY 2026-27, online mode and Individual.
- Select ITR-1 and the reason for filing (income above the basic exemption limit, or other conditions). The form opens with data prefilled from Form 16 and AIS.
- Check Personal Information, including the bank account for refund and the regime choice. Then verify Gross Total Income against Form 16 and AIS, adding interest the employer did not know about.
- Confirm deductions under 80C, 80D, 80CCD(1B) and others if you are on the old regime, and the Tax Paid tab against Form 26AS.
- If tax is payable, pay it through e-Pay Tax as self-assessment tax and add the challan details. Preview, submit and e-verify with Aadhaar OTP within 30 days.
Worked example: Salaried filer with small equity LTCG stays in ITR-1
- Salary (gross)
- ₹11,00,000
- Savings and FD interest
- ₹42,000
- LTCG on equity mutual funds redeemed after 12 months (112A)
- ₹90,000
- Short-term gains or losses
- None
- Form to file
- ITR-1, because 112A gains are within ₹1.25 lakh and there are no losses
- If the LTCG were ₹1,50,000 or any STCG existed
- ITR-2
Common mistake: filing ITR-1 while AIS shows share or property sales
The portal matches the return with AIS. Sale of securities beyond the 112A allowance, a property sale, or more than one house in ITR-1 leads to a defective return notice under section 139(9). You then have 15 days to file the correct form in response, failing which the return is treated as never filed and 234F late fees apply. Check AIS before picking the form, not after.
What to do next
Run the eligibility table against your AIS. If everything fits, file ITR-1 well before 31 July 2026 so any 143(1) refund arrives early. If a single line fails the test, move to ITR-2; it is a longer form but the salary section is identical. A return filed on time can be revised until 31 December 2026 if you spot an error later.
ITR-1 (Sahaj): questions
Who can file ITR-1 for AY 2026-27?
A resident and ordinarily resident individual with total income up to ₹50 lakh from salary or pension, one house property, other sources such as interest and dividend, agricultural income up to ₹5,000 and long-term capital gains under section 112A up to ₹1.25 lakh with no losses. Anything outside this list needs ITR-2 or ITR-3.
Can I file ITR-1 if I have capital gains?
Only if the gains are long-term gains on listed equity shares or equity mutual funds under section 112A, do not exceed ₹1.25 lakh, and there is no capital loss to set off or carry forward. Any short-term gain, property gain, debt fund gain or loss requires ITR-2.
Can an NRI file ITR-1?
No. ITR-1 is only for residents who are ordinarily resident. NRIs and residents but not ordinarily resident (RNOR) file ITR-2, or ITR-3 if they have business income in India.
What is the difference between ITR-1 and ITR-2?
ITR-1 is for simple salary and interest income up to ₹50 lakh with one house. ITR-2 adds schedules for capital gains, more than one house property, foreign assets and income, directorships, unlisted shares, crypto, lottery winnings and losses to carry forward. Neither is for business income.
Is ITR-1 available for income above ₹50 lakh?
No. Once total income crosses ₹50 lakh you must file ITR-2 even if the income is only salary. A surcharge of 10% applies above ₹50 lakh under both regimes.
What is the due date for ITR-1 for FY 2025-26?
31 July 2026. A belated return can be filed until 31 December 2026 with a fee of ₹5,000 under section 234F, or ₹1,000 if total income is up to ₹5 lakh, plus 1% monthly interest under 234A on any unpaid tax.
Can I choose the old regime in ITR-1?
Yes. Salaried and pension filers choose the regime inside the return every year. No Form 10-IEA is needed because there is no business income. Choose the old regime only if your deductions and exemptions beat the lower new-regime slabs.
Related forms and sections
- ITR-2ITR-2 is the return for individuals and HUFs who have no income from business or profession but do not fit ITR-1: capital gains from shares, mutual funds, property or crypto, more than one house property, income above ₹50 lakh, foreign assets or foreign income, NRI or RNOR status, a directorship, unlisted shares, or losses to carry forward. It is due on 31 July 2026 for AY 2026-27 and has no profit and loss account.
- Form 16Form 16 is the TDS certificate an employer issues to every employee whose salary tax was deducted, due by 15 June 2026 for FY 2025-26. Part A is generated on TRACES and shows quarter-wise TDS deposited against your PAN; Part B is the employer's breakup of salary, exemptions, deductions and tax. You use it to fill the salary and TDS schedules of ITR-1 or ITR-2 by 31 July 2026.
- Section 234FSection 234F charges a late fee of ₹5,000 if you file your income tax return after the due date, reduced to ₹1,000 if your total income does not exceed ₹5,00,000. It applies to every belated return filed up to 31 December 2026 for AY 2026-27, even if no tax is due, but not if your gross total income is below the basic exemption limit and you were not otherwise required to file. Interest under section 234A at 1% a month on unpaid tax is charged in addition.
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General information for FY 2025-26, not professional advice. Limits and dates change with each Budget; the updated date above is when this page was last checked. Disclaimer