ITR filing for AY 2026-27 has started. After the release of ITR-1 and ITR-4 utility, many salaried employees have started preparing to file returns soon. People want to file returns to get quick refund, avoid last minute rush and complete tax work quickly.
But the big question is whether just the release of ITR utility means immediate filing of returns? In many cases the answer may be no. Now income tax return is not based only on the information given by you. The tax department matches your return with the data received from employers, banks, mutual funds, brokers and other institutions. This is the reason why filing ITR too early can cause problems later.
ITR utility has arrived, but data is not complete yet
Many people assume that as soon as the ITR form becomes available, AIS, Form 26AS and pre-filled data will also be completely updated. But this does not happen often. Many important tax updates related to the last quarter of the financial year 2025-26 are submitted by the end of May. In such a situation, initially complete information is not visible in AIS and Form 26AS. This is especially important for those who have interest, rent, dividends, capital gains or professional income in addition to their salary.
Why better to wait till June 15?
Employers have to submit TDS details for March 2026 quarter by 31 May 2026. Only after this the complete salary data and TDS credit of the employees is updated in the system. Similarly, banks and other institutions also submit non-salary TDS information by the end of May.
Apart from this, the last date for issuing Form 16 and Form 16A is 15 June 2026. With these documents, employees are able to correctly match their salary, tax deduction and TDS credit.
What problems can arise from filing returns early?
If ITR is filed on the basis of incomplete information then many problems may arise later, like.
- Error in TDS credit
- tax notice
- Delay in refund
- additional tax demand
- Need to file revised return
Experts say that it is better to wait for a few days and file the return with correct information rather than hastily filing wrong returns.
What is the most sensible approach?
According to tax experts, waiting till mid-June may be a better strategy for most salaried employees. Until then
- Form 16 will be issued
- AIS and Form 26AS will be updated
- TDS credit will appear correctly
- Chances of data mismatch will be less
That is, the most important thing in tax filing is not to file the return quickly, but in the correct manner.
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