The alphabet soup of tax forms
The department has several ITR forms, and the wrong one gets your return marked defective under Section 139(9). Here is a beginner-friendly map.
Pick by income source
| Form | Best for |
|---|---|
| ITR-1 (Sahaj) | Salary, one house, interest; income up to Rs 50 lakh |
| ITR-2 | Capital gains, multiple houses, foreign assets |
| ITR-3 | Business / profession, intraday, F&O |
| ITR-4 (Sugam) | Presumptive business / profession up to Rs 50 lakh |
Filing the wrong form is a leading cause of defective-return notices under Section 139(9) (Source: Income Tax Act, Section 139(9)).
Quick guide
- ITR-1: resident, income up to Rs 50 lakh, salary/pension, one house, other sources, farm income up to Rs 5,000. Not for capital gains or business.
- ITR-2: everything in ITR-1 with no Rs 50 lakh cap, plus capital gains, more than one house, foreign income/assets, unlisted shares.
- ITR-3: ITR-2 plus business or professional income, including intraday and F&O.
- ITR-4: presumptive income under 44AD/44ADA/44AE, where you declare a fixed percentage of receipts as profit.
What you should do
List your income sources first, then match to the simplest form that legally fits. Check AIS for hidden capital gains before choosing.
Common mistake
Defaulting to ITR-1 out of habit while AIS shows share sales. That mismatch triggers a defective-return notice.
How LastMinute ITR helps
LastMinute ITR categorises your AIS and Form 16 data so you know which form to select on the portal. Start at /file, import at /file/import/documents, and reconcile at /file/import/mismatch.
LastMinute ITR is a companion tool, not affiliated with the Income Tax Department. You file and e-verify your return yourself on incometax.gov.in.