ITR filing 2025: Preparing to file income tax returns? Keep these crucial documents handy

Keep all crucial documents at hand before you start filing your income tax returns

With the Income Tax department releasing income tax return forms earlier this month, the ITR filing season has officially begun. These forms contain several changes, including amendments to capital gains tax rules announced in Budget 2024.

However, you need not rush to complete the process – the department is yet to release online ITR filing utilities on the official portal (incometax.gov.in) and salaried employees haven’t received their Forms-16 either.

Yet, it is wise to start gathering all the other crucial documents even though the due date for filing income tax returns for the financial year 2024-25 (assessment year 2025-26) – July 31 – is more than two months away. This is step one in your return-filing exercise.

Get crucial documents in order

The income tax department has released all the ITR forms. Ensure that you pick the right form – this year, even those with capital gains can use the simpler ITR-1 (Sahaj), subject to conditions. For example, if your gains from sale of equity shares or mutual fund units amount to less than Rs 1.25 lakh per year and you do not have to carry forward any losses, you can use this form.

Using the right form is a must, lest your return be considered defective. The new forms reflect the changes, particularly the ones related to capital gains tax on various assets, announced in Budget 2024.

Also read: ITR filing 2025: From ITR-1 to ITR-7 - how to choose the right income tax return form

Other documents that you would need include:

• Bank account statements
• Bank TDS certificates
• Aadhaar and PAN – ensure that these two are linked
• Form-26AS
• Annual Information Statement (AIS)
• Form-16 issued by employers – all the forms if you have switched jobs during the FY
• Past tax returns filed
• Salary slips, including income earned abroad, if any
• Rent agreements and receipts to claim HRA
• Foreign bank account statements if you were deputed abroad
• Transaction statements of foreign investments made to make the relevant disclosures
• Form 67 if you are claiming credit of taxes paid in a foreign country with which India has double taxation avoidance treaty
• Details of your assets and liabilities if your income exceeds Rs 50 lakh and you have to file returns using ITR-2, which contains AL (asset-liability) schedule
• Tax exemption proofs

So, you need to keep proof of having made tax-saver investments at hand. To be sure, you need not attach these documents with your ITR form when you submit returns. However, preserve these documents to address any queries that may arise due to a mismatch in Form-16 and Form-26AS or AIS. This is particularly the case if you had picked the new regime in your proposed investment declarations submitted to the employer but switched to the old regime while filing returns.

Also read: Income tax return filing: ITR forms for AY 2025–26 notified — check key changes

For Sections 80C and 80CCD(1B) deductions

• Confirmation of having invested in equity-linked saving schemes (ELSS)
• National Pension System (NPS) – proof of own contribution
• Premium receipts of life insurance premiums paid

Health insurance premium receipts

For Section 80E

Interest certificate from the bank that has extended the education loan

For Section 24B

Interest certificate from your bank to claim deduction of up to Rs 2 lakh under section 24(B)

For Section 80G

Receipts of donations to charitable institutions eligible for deductions under section 80G

For income from other sources

• Capital gains/loss statements issued by mutual fund houses or intermediaries, your broking house and so on.
• Bank account statements and TDS certificates
• Crypto investments - that is, Virtual digital assets (VDA) transaction statements - to make appropriate disclosures, particularly in the VDA schedules.