Income Tax Return (ITR) is a type of form in which the taxpayers file information about their income and tax pertinent to the income tax department. Till date, the department has reported seven such forms, namely ITR 1, ITR 2, ITR 3, ITR 4, ITR 5, ITR 6 & ITR 7. Every taxpayer should complete income tax return filing on or before the stipulated due date. The applicability of ITR forms differs depending on the source and amount of earned income.

The total gross income denotes the total revenue and is calculated before any deduction allowance under sections 80C to 80U of the Income-tax Act, 1961 [2]. Even if the income is lower than the basic exemption limit, you would be required to complete their income tax return filing in India. Even in case you are holding assets abroad, or if you are a beneficiary to any foreign assets or financial interests, income tax return filing is mandatory under the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA).

Income tax return filing requires you to have the following documents:  

1. Permanent Account Number (PAN)  

2. Aadhaar Identification Number  

3. Copy of tax returns of the previous year  

4. Bank statements  

5. Form 16  

6. A summation of all the interest income earned during the financial year  

7. Other tax Deducted at Source (TDS) certificates  

The forms of income tax return filing, whether it is filed manually or electronically, do not include any documentation such as investment proof, and TDS certificates. However, the income tax return filing records should be maintained by you (taxpayer) and generated in situations such as evaluation, scrutiny, before the tax authorities when requested.

The income tax department has established an independent portal for electronic Income tax return filing (e-filing). The taxpayers need to log on to

www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in for electronic income tax return filing. The department's e-filing tool is simple, easy to use and also guides on how to file ITR.

During the process of income tax return filing, if any excess tax has been paid in the financial year, you can claim the excess paid tax as a refund. After the ITR gets processed, given the IT department accepts your refund claim, the claimed refund amount gets credited back to your bank account via Electronic Clearance Service (ECS) transfer

The income tax return filing will not get treated as valid without verification. You can either choose to verify your income tax return filing physically or electronically. In case of physical verification, print the acknowledgment of your income tax return filing (ITR-V), sign it in blue ink, and send it to the Centralized Processing Centre (Bangalore) within 120 days of your income tax return filing.