Filing Income Tax Return-2 (ITR-2) can look daunting, but once you follow a structured routine, it feels no harder than paying a monthly EMI. This guide walks you through — from checking your income tax slab to clicking “Submit” on the e-filing portal — using simple language and real-world tips. Keep an income tax calculator open in another tab while you read; you will use it often.
Snapshot of every section in ITR-2 (AY 2025-26)
Use this cheat sheet while you fill the form online. Keep an income tax calculator handy so that every figure you key into a schedule already matches the correct income tax slab for the regime you finally choose.
| # | Part / Schedule | What goes in (1-2-line gist) |
| 1 | Part A – General | Personal data, filing status, residential status and bank details |
| 2 | Schedule Salary (S) | Gross salary, exempt allowances, deductions under Section 16 |
| 3 | Schedule House Property (HP) | Rental income, interest on housing loan, co-owner & tenant details |
| 4 | Schedule Capital Gains (CG) | Short- and long-term gains on shares, land, gold, etc.; split pre-/post-23 July 2024 sales |
| 5 | Schedule 112A / 115AD(1)(iii) | Scrip-wise details of equity / equity-fund sales taxed at 10% (separate block for non-residents) |
| 6 | Schedule VDA | Gains on crypto, NFTs and other virtual digital assets |
| 7 | Schedule Other Sources (OS) | Interest, dividends, lottery wins, race-horse income, deductions u/s 57 |
| 8 | Schedule CYLA | Automatic set-off of current-year losses with current-year income |
| 9 | Schedule BFLA | Set-off of brought-forward losses from earlier years |
| 10 | Schedule CFL | Losses that still remain to be carried forward |
| 11 | Schedule VI-A | All Chapter VI-A deductions (80C to 80U) other than donations |
| 12 | Schedule 80G / 80GGA | Donations to charity / rural research eligible for deduction |
| 13 | Schedule AMT | Alternate Minimum Tax computation under Section 115JC |
| 14 | Schedule AMTC | AMT credit to be carried forward under Section 115JD |
| 15 | Schedule SPI | Clubbing of spouse’s / minor child’s income |
| 16 | Schedule SI | Income taxed at special rates (e.g., certain dividends, race-horse winnings) |
| 17 | Schedule EI | Fully exempt income such as tax-free interest or agriculture income |
| 18 | Schedule PTI | Pass-through income from business trusts / AIFs |
| 19 | Schedule FSI | Foreign-source income (residents only) |
| 20 | Schedule TR | Foreign-tax relief claimed under Sections 90 / 90A / 91 |
| 21 | Schedule FA | Foreign assets held at any time during the year (residents only) |
| 22 | Schedule 5A | Portuguese Civil Code income split between spouses |
| 23 | Schedule AL | Assets & liabilities if total income exceeds Rs. 50 lakh |
| 24 | Schedule – Tax deferred on ESOP | Start-up employees’ deferred tax on ESOP per Section 191(1A) |
| 25 | Part B – TI | Auto-generated total income after all schedules |
| 26 | Tax Paid | Auto-pulled TDS, TCS, advance-tax and self-assessment challans |
| 27 | Part B – TTI | Final tax liability, surcharge and cess; choose old or new income tax slab regime |
| 28 | Verification & Declaration | Your e-verification choice (Aadhaar OTP, DSC, net-banking, etc.) |
How to file the ITR-2 form online?
1. Check that ITR-2 is really your form
You must choose ITR-2 if, in FY 2024-25, you:
- Earned salary or pension
- Owned more than one house (even if one stood vacant)
- Booked short- or long-term capital gains from shares, mutual funds, gold, land or a flat
- Won a lottery or horse-race prize
- Had agricultural income above Rs. 5,000, or
- Are a resident but not ordinarily resident (RNOR) or a non-resident.
The total income from all of these sources may exceed Rs. 50 lakh. If you ran a business, freelanced as a consultant, or traded derivatives as your main activity, you fall under ITR-3. When in doubt, run your numbers through an income tax calculator; it suggests the right form after you enter each income line.
2. Match your numbers with the correct income tax slab
Before you touch the portal, open an income tax calculator that shows both the old and the new regimes. Enter your salary, house rent allowance, capital gains, and Section 80C investments. The tool reveals which income tax slab hurts the least. For many investors with big STT-paid gains, the new regime’s 10% slab on Rs. 7-10 lakh may still save money, but if you claim home loan interest under Section 24(b), the old regime’s slab-wise benefit can beat it. Know your winning option now; you will confirm it later in the return.
Repeat this check every year, because slabs and rebates shift. The calculator updates instantly, whereas a wrong slab choice discovered after the portal opens means a painful revised return.
3. Collect six must-have documents
- Form 16 (salary).
- AIS & Form 26AS to reconcile TDS.
- Annual statement from your broker or Registrar showing capital gain break-up.
- Interest certificates from banks and housing finance companies.
- Proofs for deductions you plan to claim: life-insurance receipts, ELSS statements, and medical insurance.
- Passport and foreign bank statements if you have overseas income.
Scan these into an “AY 2025-26” folder. Over 80% of notice cases arise because figures in the return mismatch the AIS. Use the numbers in the AIS first, then adjust only if you have paperwork that proves an error.
4. Create a quick tax-preview sheet
Open your income tax calculator again. Copy numbers from each document into the calculator’s cells and record the final tax payable under:
- Old regime income tax slab
- New regime income tax slab
This preview shows whether advance tax and TDS already cover the liability or a self-assessment payment is due. Pay any shortfall before September 15th to avoid section 234A interest. Your calculator usually links straight to a challan-generation page.
5. Choose your mode: online or offline
| Mode | Best for | What you need |
| Online(recommended) | Anyone comfortable with live forms; the portal does most of the math | Stable internet; Aadhaar-linked mobile for OTP |
| Offline utility | Slow lines, patchy internet, complex returns with many schedules | Download JSON utility; Java installed |
Both options feed into the same CPC back-end, so pick the one you find friendlier.
6. Log in and start the form
- Visit https://www.incometax.gov.in and sign in.
- Click “File Income Tax Return” –> AY 2025-26 –> Individual –> ITR-2.
- Choose online unless you have already filled out the JSON offline.
The portal pre-fills personal data and most salary details. Cross-check with Form 16; fix spellings now, not later.
7. Fill schedules in this order
| Schedule | Why first? | Key tip |
| Salary (S) | Pre-filled; quick to verify. | Check that the portal has bucketed exemptions correctly against the right income tax slab. |
| House property (HP) | Interest set-off flows into total income. | Your income tax calculator will already have computed the Rs. 2 lakh cap; replicate it here. |
| Capital gains (CG & 112A) | Most error-prone; finish while statements are fresh. | If you sold post-23 July 2024, show it in the new sub-column added this year. |
| Other sources (OS) | Include savings interest; match AIS. | Declare lottery wins at the special-rate section. |
| Deductions (VIA) | Copy line-by-line from your calculator summary. | The 80C limit remains Rs. 1.5 lakh. |
Save after each schedule. The portal computes your tentative tax; confirm it matches the income tax calculator within a few rupees.
8. Old vs. new: Lock your regime
When you reach Part B-TTI, the system shows tax under both regimes. Compare this with the preview from your income tax calculator. If the numbers differ, something is off — usually a missed deduction or an extra section 80D line. Fix before you press ‘Confirm’. Once you select a regime and file, you cannot switch without revising the return.
9. Validate and pay self-assessment tax (if any)
Click “Validate”. The portal flags missing PAN of tenants, absent dividend break-up, or house-property set-off errors. Address them one by one. If tax is still payable, the self-assessment challan screen opens. Use the same income tax calculator to double-check the figure the portal shows; pay through netbanking, and come back to add the challan number.
10. Verify: Your return is not complete until you do
Within 30 days of filing, verify through:
- Aadhaar-OTP
- Netbanking
- DSC, or
- The signed ITR-V sent to CPC, Bengaluru.
E-verification takes minutes and is free. Without it, the return is treated as not filed.
11. Track status and refund
After verification, the portal marks the return “Successfully e-Verified”. Refunds usually hit your validated bank account in two to four weeks, unless CPC selects it for manual review. Use the same income tax calculator next March to project next year’s advance-tax instalments so refunds stay small and interest bills vanish.
12. Common slip-ups to avoid
- The wrong income tax slab chosen because you left a zero out in Section 80C, tilting the comparison.
- Ticking “Resident” while you spent 190 days abroad. This triggers foreign-asset schedules incorrectly.
- Skipping agricultural income > Rs. 5,000. Even though exempt, it decides the marginal income tax slab surcharge.
- Using round numbers. CPC matches them with bank feeds. Round only to the nearest rupee as instructed.
Run a final scan with your income tax calculator for hidden fields such as Section 80TTB (senior citizens) or 80G donations. Once the acknowledgement comes, editing is tedious.
Can you downgrade to ITR-1 next year?
Yes, if your total income next year stays below Rs. 50 lakh, you own only one house, and you realise no capital gains beyond Rs. 1.25 lakh under Section 112A. Keep an eye on thresholds with the help of an income tax calculator and the official income tax slab chart each April.
Quick troubleshooting table
| Issue on portal | Likely cause | Fast fix |
| Tax payable as per the return does not match the taxes paid | Forgot the cess in the netbanking challan | Pay the difference via the same challan code. |
| PAN of the tenant is invalid | You entered your Aadhaar number | Re-enter correctly. |
| Refund stuck at “Paid” but not received | Non-validated bank account | Go to ‘Profile – Bank accounts’ and re-validate, then raise a refund re-issue request. |
Final word
ITR-2 looks long only because it covers every income line a non-business taxpayer can have. The portal does most of the arithmetic; your real job is feeding clean numbers — a task you simplify by leaning on a reliable income tax calculator. Check your income tax slab early, collect proofs in one folder, and start the return well before the extended period of 15th September. Follow the sequence in this guide, verify within minutes, and turn the annual filing ritual into a one-evening chore that keeps the tax department happy and your peace of mind intact.
