How to File ITR Online for AY 2026-27?

One thing that confused me initially was the e-verification step.

After submitting the return, you still have to verify it. The Income Tax Department currently says that e-verification or submission of ITR-V should generally be completed within 30 days from the date of filing.

There are several verification methods, including Aadhaar OTP, EVC through a pre-validated bank or demat account, net banking and DSC, depending on eligibility.

I would recommend verifying immediately after filing rather than selecting “verify later” and forgetting about it.

If verification is delayed beyond the prescribed period, the department says the date of verification can become the date of furnishing the return and applicable late-filing consequences may follow.

So for me, the practical sequence was:

Prepare documents → check AIS/26AS → select ITR → complete return → validate → submit → e-verify.

I filed my return online recently, and the biggest thing I would suggest is not to rely only on the pre-filled information.

I first downloaded AIS and checked Form 26AS against my bank and TDS records. In my case, the information was mostly correct, but I still had to check the figures carefully.

For rental income, make sure you report the property income correctly rather than just entering the amount of rent received. Similarly, check the interest credited to your NRO account.

The portal will calculate the tax based on the information you provide, but you should still review the result before submitting.

Also check your bank account details if you are expecting a refund. The Income Tax Department's filing guidance recommends having the bank account pre-validated for refund purposes.

I would also save the acknowledgement after filing rather than assuming the process is finished immediately.

The basic process is fairly straightforward once you have your documents ready.

Log in to the Income Tax e-Filing portal and go to e-File → Income Tax Returns → File Income Tax Return. Select AY 2026-27 and choose online filing.

The important part is selecting the correct ITR form. Since you are an NRI, don't automatically select ITR-1 just because your income is relatively simple. Check the eligibility conditions for each form first.

For example, ITR-2 is available to eligible resident and non-resident individuals who don't have income chargeable under business or profession. It can cover salary/pension, house property, capital gains, and other sources.

Before filing, I would keep your bank statements, rental-income details, TDS information, Form 26AS, and AIS ready.

After entering everything, preview and validate the return. If the portal shows errors, correct them before submitting.

I filed my return from Singapore this month. Besides checking AIS and Form 26AS, I also kept my bank interest certificates and rental income records handy while completing the return.

Once I submitted the return, I made sure to complete the e-verification the same day. From my understanding, simply submitting the return isn't enough—it also needs to be verified within the prescribed time limit for the filing process to be completed.

Requirements can change each assessment year, so I always read the latest instructions available on the official portal before starting.

I'm based in the UK and have been filing my own ITR for the last three years. One thing I'd recommend is confirming that you've selected the correct ITR form before entering any details.

I also downloaded the pre-filled data available on the portal and carefully checked it against my own records because not every income entry was automatically populated.

Take your time reviewing everything before clicking Submit. Correcting mistakes later is usually more time-consuming than spending a few extra minutes checking the return.