File ITR in June to avoid errors, TDS mismatches, and missing AIS or Form 26AS updates before submitting your Income Tax Return.
Dated 26.04.2026 : As the financial year ends on March 31, many proactive taxpayers are eager to file their Income Tax Returns (ITR) immediately. While being early is generally a good habit, in the case of tax filing, patience is a strategy. Filing in April or May often leads to discrepancies that result in tax notices or missed refunds. Here is why June is the ideal month to hit that ‘Submit’ button
The Foundation: Understanding 26AS and AIS
Before filing your ITR, you must ensure your data matches the Income Tax Department’s records. Two documents are central to this process:
1. Form 26AS (Tax Credit Statement): This is your consolidated tax passbook. It records all taxes deducted at source (TDS) on your behalf— be it from your salary, bank interest, or sale of property. If a tax deduction isn’t reflected here, you cannot claim it as a credit.
2. AIS (Annual Information Statement): AIS is a more comprehensive version of 26AS. It tracks almost every significant financial footprint,including stock market transactions, mutual fund dividends, purchase of securities, and high-value credit card spends.
The Reporting Lag: Why the Delay?
Financial institutions like banks, mutual fund houses, and even your employer do not report data in real-time. They operate on quarterly and annual cycles. For the final quarter of the financial year (January to March), they are given until the end of May to file their returns.
Key Deadlines for Reporting Entities
The data in your AIS/26AS only updates once the reporting institutions meet their legal deadlines:
| Entity Type | Reporting Requirement | Deadline for Reporting | Expected AIS/26AS Update |
| Employers | TDS on Salary (Form 24Q) | May 31, 2026 | Early June 2026 |
| Banks/Corporates | TDS on Interest/Dividends (Form 26Q) | May 31, 2026 | Early June 2026 |
| Mutual Funds / Banks | SFT (High-value transactions) | May 31, 2026 | Early to Mid-June 2026 |
| Brokers | Capital Gains (H2: Oct–Mar) | May 31, 2026 | Early to Mid-June 2026 |
The Risks of “Early Filer” Syndrome :
If you file your return in early May, your Form 26AS may only show data up to December. Any tax deducted between January and March won’t be visible yet. Filing without this data causes a TDS Mismatch, which is a leading cause for the tax department to mark a return as “Defective.”
Furthermore, if your AIS updates in mid-June with a capital gain or dividend you forgot to declare, you will be forced to file a Revised Return, which can sometimes trigger closer scrutiny from the tax authorities.
Wait until the first or second week of June. By this time, banks have filed their TDS returns, employers have issued Form 16 (usually by June 15), and the AIS is fully populated. Filing in June ensures that your return is accurate, comprehensive, and notice-proof.
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