ITR-7 Filing for AY 2026-27: Who Must File and How Trusts, Institutions and Other Entities Report Income

ITR-7 is for persons, including some companies and institutions, required to file under Sections 139(4A), 139(4B), 139(4C) or 139(4D) of the Income-tax Act, 1961. AY 2026-27 covers income earned from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026 and remains governed by that Act.

These categories generally include:

• A person receiving income from property held under a trust for charitable or religious purposes;
• The chief executive officer of a political party;
• Certain institutions referred to in Section 139(4C), such as specified research associations or news agencies;
• Universities, colleges and other institutions referred to in Section 139(4D).

The filing requirement depends on the entity’s circumstances and the relevant statutory conditions. A trust or institution should not assume that registration or an exemption claim alone determines whether it must file a return.

ITR-7 is not for every non-company entity. A business trust or investment fund covered by Section 139(4E) or 139(4F) generally uses ITR-5. A company not claiming exemption under Section 11 generally uses ITR-6. See TaxClear’s ITR-6 filing guide for that company-return route.

What is the ITR-7 deadline for AY 2026-27?

The due date depends on the filing category, whether an audit report is required and whether Section 92E applies. CBDT extended the due date from 31 October to 21 November 2026 for the specified audit-category cases where Section 92E does not apply. The separate due date for Section 92E cases is 30 November 2026.

Where required, audit reports such as Forms 10B or 10BB must be filed separately. The Department extended the deadline for specified audit reports to 21 October 2026. Check the deadline that applies to your entity and report.

If the original due date has passed, a belated return may generally be filed by 31 December 2026 or before completion of assessment, whichever is earlier, subject to the applicable rules.

Records and reports to prepare

Keep records that support the return and any exemption claims:

• Trust deed, formation documents and amendments;
• Registration or approval details relevant to the claim;
• Audited accounts, income and expenditure statement, balance sheet and ledgers;
• Donation, grant, corpus and application-of-income records;
• Details of investments, related persons and payments to specified persons;
• TDS/TCS information, AIS, Form 26AS and tax-payment challans;
• Applicable audit reports, including Form 10B or 10BB, and acknowledgements.

The report required depends on the entity and its circumstances. Do not assume all trusts file the same audit form. TaxClear’s tax-audit guide for AY 2026-27 provides related audit-report guidance.

Schedules and filing steps

Complete only the schedules that apply. Depending on the entity, ITR-7 may require details of income, application of income, accumulated amounts, donations, investments, TDS and taxes paid. Reconcile these figures with the accounts and supporting records.

1. Select AY 2026-27 in the Income Tax e-Filing portal and use the current ITR-7 utility.
2. Enter the entity’s details, filing section and applicable schedules.
3. Check exemption, income-application and audit-report information against the records.
4. Validate and submit the return, then complete verification using a mode available for the entity.
5. Save the acknowledgement and confirm the portal shows the return as filed and verified.

ITR-7 does not replace separate GST, MCA or other regulatory filings, where applicable.

Frequently asked questions

Does every charitable trust have to file ITR-7?

Not automatically. Check whether the trust falls within Section 139(4A) and meets the applicable filing conditions.

Can a company file ITR-7?

Some companies required to file under Sections 139(4A)–(4D) may use ITR-7. Other companies generally use ITR-6.

Are Forms 10B or 10BB attached to ITR-7?

The applicable audit report is filed separately. Check which form and deadline apply to the entity.

Does ITR-7 apply to income earned in FY 2026-27?

No. AY 2026-27 is for income earned in FY 2025-26. Income earned from 1 April 2026 falls under Tax Year 2026-27.

Is the return filed once the form is submitted?

No. Complete verification and confirm the filing status on the portal.