ITR-3 is primarily meant for individuals and Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) earning income from business or professional activities.
The form is generally used by taxpayers who maintain regular books of accounts and do not qualify to file simpler forms such as ITR-1, ITR-2 or ITR-4.
Kind Attention Taxpayers!
Online filing and Excel Utility for ITR-3 for A.Y. 2026–27 is now enabled on the e-Filing portal.https://t.co/1vnMusEbbF pic.twitter.com/oxcmvyAEIi
— Income Tax India (@IncomeTaxIndia) June 19, 2026
The form can be used by professionals, freelancers, consultants, traders and business owners reporting income under the head “Profits and Gains from Business or Profession.” It is also applicable to individuals involved in futures and options (F&O) trading, intraday trading, commodity trading and currency trading. Partners earning remuneration, commission, bonus or interest from partnership firms are also covered under ITR-3.
Tax experts note that taxpayers eligible to file ITR-1, ITR-2 or ITR-4 should not use ITR-3. Ineligible categories mainly include salaried individuals without business income and taxpayers opting for presumptive taxation schemes covered under ITR-4.
Several changes have been introduced in the latest ITR-3 utility for AY 2026-27. Separate disclosure requirements have now been added for futures and options trades, intraday equity transactions, commodity trades and currency trades, increasing reporting transparency for active traders.
The updated utility has also simplified certain auditor disclosure requirements, a move aimed at reducing compliance burden for taxpayers whose accounts are subject to tax audit. In addition, taxpayers can now provide secondary contact information, including an alternate address, mobile number and email ID.
According to the Income Tax Department, the Excel-based utility and JSON schema were released on June 18. The filing facility became available shortly after through the e-filing portal.
For taxpayers not requiring an audit, the due date for filing ITR-3 for AY 2026-27 is August 31. In audit cases, the deadline has been set as October 31.
Tax professionals have advised taxpayers to carefully reconcile details with AIS, Form 26AS and supporting financial records before submission, especially in cases involving capital gains, trading income and multiple income sources.
