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Companies can file ITR-6 for AY 2026-27 through either the Income Tax Department’s online portal utility or its offline utility. First confirm that ITR-6 fits the company, then arrange company portal access, download the current-year utility if needed, and follow the live portal’s validation, submission and verification prompts. The department listed utility version 1.20 on 24 September 2026; check its downloads page again before filing because utilities may change.
Who should file ITR-6?
The Income Tax Department describes ITR-6 as the return for companies other than companies claiming exemption under section 11. If the company’s exemption status or filing category is unusual, check the current-year notified form instructions before starting. The department’s AY 2020-21 instructions also said companies required to file ITR-7 should use that form instead, but those instructions are historical and should not be treated as current-year rule text. Check the current ITR-6 downloads and instructions.
What to prepare before filing
Company registration on the e-Filing portal requires an active company PAN and a registered digital signature certificate (DSC) for the Principal Contact. The Principal Contact is the company representative with signing authority; the representative must also have a PAN registered on the portal. These are registration prerequisites, not a complete checklist of the financial information or supporting records needed to prepare the return. Confirm the company’s reporting and audit requirements using its circumstances and current-year instructions. See the department’s company registration guidance.
Choose the AY 2026-27 filing route and utility
AY means assessment year; use the utility and instructions for the assessment year of the return, rather than assuming the financial year and assessment year are interchangeable. The department announced online ITR-6 filing for AY 2026-27 on 18 August 2026 and offline utility availability on 20 August 2026. Its portal lists both routes. View the department’s ITR-6 availability announcements.
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As listed by the department on 8 October 2026, the AY 2026-27 ITR-6 Excel utility was version 1.20, released 24 September 2026; schema and validation resources were also listed. Open the official income-tax return downloads page, select the applicable assessment year, and use the current ITR-6 resources shown there. Recheck the listing when you begin work so you do not prepare a return with an outdated utility.
| Route | Where you prepare the return | What is established |
|---|---|---|
| Online utility | On the e-Filing portal | The department announced AY 2026-27 online ITR-6 filing availability on 18 August 2026. |
| Offline utility | Using the department’s downloadable utility | The department announced AY 2026-27 offline utility availability on 20 August 2026 and listed an Excel utility, version 1.20, released 24 September 2026 as of 8 October 2026. |
The official listing confirms both options, but does not establish a complete feature-by-feature comparison of their data entry or validation workflows. Choose the current-year route that suits your preparation process, then follow the instructions shown for that route.
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How to file ITR-6 online
- Confirm the form and assessment year. Check that the company falls within the department’s current ITR-6 description and select AY 2026-27 resources if that is the return being filed.
- Arrange company portal registration. Confirm the company has an active PAN and that its authorized Principal Contact has a PAN registered on the portal and a registered DSC for company registration.
- Open the current ITR-6 filing option. Use the department’s live filing portal or the current AY 2026-27 utility listed on its downloads page. Portal labels and filing screens may change.
- Prepare and validate the return. Enter the company’s information using the current form and utility instructions, and resolve any validation issues the portal or utility identifies.
- Submit, complete verification and retain the acknowledgment. Follow the live system’s instructions for submission and verification, then save the acknowledgment and related filing records.
The available current-year sources establish route and utility availability, but not a reliable click-by-click path or the precise post-submission verification flow. Do not treat uploading or saving a return as proof that filing is complete: use the prompts and status shown by the live portal. The department’s detailed ITR-6 instructions for AY 2020-21 described electronic filing and digital-signature verification for that year; they are not a substitute for current-year verification instructions. Consult the current ITR-6 instructions and downloads and the portal’s help pages.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is the ITR-6 due date for AY 2026-27?
The department’s notice dated 29 September 2026 extends the return filing deadline from 31 October to 21 November 2026 for the statutory class specified in that notice. For that same class, the audit-report deadline moves from 30 September to 21 October 2026. These extensions are not a universal deadline for every company. Check whether the company is within the notice’s specified class and confirm the date that applies to its statutory category and circumstances in the official notice.
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This guide is procedural information, not individualized tax advice. Form eligibility, reporting, audit obligations and filing dates can depend on company-specific facts.
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