Important Documents Required for Income Tax Filing

Filing your Income Tax Return (ITR) requires you to have certain paperwork to ensure accurate calculations and serve as proof. So, making sure you have the documents required for income tax return on hand is crucial. This makes the ITR filing procedure easier and prevents any miscalculation in computing your tax liability. 

 

You need to submit documents to claim deductions on various expenses. These include payments towards insurance premiums, education fee payments, registration charges/stamp duty towards buying a home, and home loan repayments, among others. If you are filing ITR online, you do not need to attach the documents to the I-T portal.

The Income Tax Department requires you to provide a breakup of your gross salary and income from other sources. To back your claims about your total income, the I-T department requires you to rely on certain documents while filing your returns. 

 

In addition, several sections of the Income Tax Act of 1961 allow you to enjoy exemptions on your tax liability. To get these tax breaks, you will have to refer to certain documents. Here is a list of the documents required for income tax return:

• Aadhaar and PAN Card

As per Section 139AA, every taxpayer is required to provide an Aadhaar card when filing the income tax return. This acts as your ID and address proof. Your PAN card is another essential document for ITR filing, as it contains your tax identification number. 

• Interest Certificates

The interest you earn from your savings and FD accounts is taxable as per the Income Tax Act. So, you will need to have interest certificates from the bank, post office, or company in order to file your ITR.

• Salary Slips

As a salaried taxpayer, you need to submit your latest salary slips since your gross income includes various allowances and perks. Thus, salary slips allow the assessment officer to check allowances like HRA, travel allowance, LTA, and more. 

• Tax-saving Investment Proofs

Under sections 80C, 80CCC and 80CCD, you can enjoy tax benefits on various tax-saving investment avenues like the provident fund. To get tax exemption of up to ₹1.5 Lakhs, you will need to keep related documents as proof.

• Health Insurance Premium Receipts

As per Section 80D, paying health insurance premiums makes you eligible for tax deductions. By referring to health insurance premium receipts at the time of filing ITR, you can claim deductions of up to ₹25,000. 

 

This exemption limit is for yourself, your spouse, and your children. If you pay the health insurance premium of your parents below 60 years of age, you can claim an additional deduction of up to ₹25,000. If you pay premiums for parents above 60 years of age or if you are above 60, you can claim a deduction of up to ₹50,000. 

• Capital Gains Proof

You are also required to pay taxes on capital gains from your mutual funds/ELSS investment or from the sale of a property. So, you will also have to keep the following documents related to capital gains on hand at the time of filing the ITR:

1. Title deed or sale and purchase agreement a property

2. Statement of earnings from mutual funds

• Form 16

Form 16 is one of the most important documents required for ITR filing by salaried employees. It is provided by your employer and contains details about Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) from your salary.

 

Make sure you submit it to avoid paying more tax than required. Note that you can use other documents for reference in place of Form 16 when filing your ITR.

• Form 26AS

Form 26AS details the advance tax payments made by you. In simple terms, it is a summary of taxation provided by the Income Tax Department paid by you or on your behalf in an assessment year.

• Bank Account Details

While filing ITR, it is mandatory to disclose all the bank accounts you hold. Through this, the authorities check your high-volume transactions, cross-check your income, and more. 

 

The Income Tax Department may also need it to carry out a tax refund if required. Note that you may also need to provide your bank statements and passbooks.

• Home Loan Statement

If you have a home loan, you need to provide the details while filing your ITR. You need to provide details about the principal amount that you have borrowed and the interest you are paying towards the loan.

 

Here is a concise summary of the key documents required for filing ITR for different categories of taxpayers in India:

1. Salaried Individuals

• PAN Card

• Aadhaar Card

• Form 16 from employer

• Form 16A and other TDS certificates

• Bank account statements

• Investment proofs (e.g. for Section 80C deductions)

• Rent receipts (if claiming HRA exemption)

• Documents for any other income/deductions

2. Business/Professional Income

• PAN Card

• Aadhaar Card

• Profit and Loss Statement

• Balance Sheet

• Form 16A and other TDS certificates

• Bank account statements

• Investment proofs (e.g. for Section 80C deductions)

• Documents for any other income/deductions