Revised Return: How to Correct a Mistake in Your ITR

If you spot a mistake in an income tax return you have already filed, file a revised return. For FY 2025-26 (assessment year 2026-27), as of October 2026, you can revise until 31 March 2027, with no fee up to 31 December 2026 and a ₹1,000 or ₹5,000 fee after that. If that window has closed, an updated return (ITR-U) or a rectification request may still help, depending on the error.

Which route fits your mistake?

Returns for FY 2025-26 are governed by the 1961 Act. From tax year 2026-27 onward, the 2025 Act numbering applies.

Revised return: deadlines and fee

Budget 2026 lengthened the revision window from nine months to twelve months after the end of the relevant year, and added a fee for revisions in the last three months. As of October 2026:

In every case the revision must also be filed before the assessment is completed. If your return is selected for scrutiny and the assessment order is passed first, you lose the right to revise.

The same deadline applies to a belated return, so a person who filed late can now correct it too. Before the change, a return filed in late December could hardly be revised at all.

How to file a revised return

1. Log in to the e-filing portal and choose File Income Tax Return for the same assessment year.
2. Select filing type: revised return (139(5) for FY 2025-26).
3. Enter the acknowledgement number and date of filing of the original return.
4. Use the correct ITR form. You can switch forms, for example from ITR-1 to ITR-2 if you missed capital gains.
5. Fill in the complete return again. A revised return replaces the original entirely; it is not a list of changes.
6. If extra tax is due, pay it as self-assessment tax first, with any interest, and enter the challan details.
7. Pay the revision fee if you are filing after 31 December, and enter the challan.
8. Submit and e-verify within 30 days. An unverified revised return is treated as not filed.

Before you start, download fresh copies of your AIS, TIS and Form 26AS. Our guide to Form 16, AIS and 26AS shows how to reconcile them so you do not need a second revision.

Worked example: missed FD interest

Arjun filed his FY 2025-26 return in July 2026 under the new regime. His taxable salary was ₹13,25,000, in the 15% slab. In November 2026 he realises he left out FD interest of ₹40,000 on which the bank deducted TDS of ₹4,000.

• Extra tax: ₹40,000 × 15% = ₹6,000
• Cess at 4%: ₹240
• Total extra tax: ₹6,240
• Less TDS already deducted: ₹4,000
• Balance payable: ₹2,240, plus any interest for late payment that the portal computes

Because he revises in November, before 31 December 2026, no revision fee applies.

If he waits until February 2027, he still can revise, but pays a fee of ₹5,000 because his income exceeds ₹5 lakh. The fee is more than double the tax he owes, which is why early correction matters.

If he notices only in August 2027, the revision window has closed. He must file ITR-U. Within 12 months of the end of the assessment year, the additional tax is 25% of the tax and interest due. Illustratively, on ₹2,240 that is ₹560, so he pays about ₹2,800 plus interest. Leaving it uncorrected risks a notice, because the interest already appears in his AIS.

Updated return (ITR-U)

ITR-U lets you report income you missed even after the revision window, if the result is more tax. As of October 2026 the time limit is 48 months from the end of the assessment year, and you pay additional tax on the tax and interest due:

You cannot use ITR-U to:

• Report a loss or reduce tax
• Increase a refund
• File after a search, survey or assessment has started for that year

In those cases, the only paths are the revised return within time, or a rectification or appeal.

Rectification: when the department made the mistake

If your return was correct but the processing went wrong, for example TDS not credited even though it shows in Form 26AS, or a calculation error in the intimation, file an online rectification request on the portal under Services. You can choose to reprocess the return or correct tax credit mismatches. Rectification is for mistakes apparent from the record, not for new claims or missed income.

Defective return notice

If the department marks your return as defective, for example missing schedules or tax shown as payable but not paid, you receive a notice asking you to cure the defect, usually within 15 days. Respond through the e-filing portal under e-Proceedings. If you do not, the return can be treated as invalid, which is far worse than a late correction.

Common errors worth revising

• Interest from savings accounts or FDs left out
• Capital gains from shares or mutual funds not reported
• Two employers' salaries not combined, or standard deduction claimed twice
• Wrong bank account for the refund (this can often be fixed on the portal without revising)
• HRA or Chapter VIII deductions claimed under the new regime, where they are not allowed; see our HRA exemption rules
• Foreign assets or ESOPs held abroad missing from Schedule FA

A revision can also help you: if you forgot a deduction you were entitled to under the old regime, or under-claimed TDS, a revised return within time can raise your refund. For what to gather next time, use the ITR filing checklist, and estimate the difference with the income tax calculator. If the refund itself is stuck, see income tax refund delayed.

Key takeaways

• As of October 2026, a return for FY 2025-26 can be revised until 31 March 2027, or until the assessment is complete if earlier.
• Revisions after 31 December 2026 cost ₹1,000 (income up to ₹5 lakh) or ₹5,000.
• A revised return replaces the original in full; e-verify it within 30 days.
• After the window closes, ITR-U can add income for up to 48 months, with 25% to 70% additional tax, but cannot reduce tax.
• Use rectification for the department's processing errors, and reply to defective-return notices on time.