Quick answer: An ITR-U updated return lets you report income you missed in an earlier return, even after the belated and revised windows have closed. You can file it once per assessment year, within 48 months of that year ending, by paying the tax plus interest and an extra charge of 25% to 70%.
Missed some income in a return you already filed? Or never filed a return for a year at all, and now the tax department’s records show income you did not report? For years, the answer after 31 December was: wait for a notice. Since 2022, there is a better answer: the updated return, or ITR-U.
This guide explains what ITR-U is, who can file it, what it costs, and the situations where the door is closed.
What is an ITR-U updated return and who can file it?
ITR-U stands for Updated Return. It is filed under Section 139(8A) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, and it exists for one purpose: to let you voluntarily add income you left out of an earlier return.
Any taxpayer can file it: an individual, a Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), a firm, a company, or an LLP. You can file ITR-U whether you filed an original return, a belated return, or a revised return for that year — and even if you filed no return at all for that year.
Common reasons people file ITR-U:
- Interest from a savings account or fixed deposit that never made it into the return
- Rent, freelance income, or capital gains reported in the wrong head or missed entirely
- A deduction or exemption claimed by mistake, which pushed the tax paid too low
- Income that shows up in AIS or TIS but was never declared
There are three hard limits. First, only one updated return per assessment year — no second chances. Second, an updated return cannot itself be revised. Third, ITR-U can only increase your tax bill. It cannot reduce tax, increase a refund, or report a loss.
How much extra tax does ITR-U cost?
Filing ITR-U is not free. Section 140B charges an additional tax on top of the normal tax and interest on the missed income. The rate depends on how late you file, counted from the end of the assessment year:
| When you file ITR-U | Additional tax (Section 140B) |
|---|---|
| Within 12 months of the AY ending | 25% of tax + interest |
| Within 24 months | 50% of tax + interest |
| Within 36 months | 60% of tax + interest |
| Within 48 months | 70% of tax + interest |
A worked example
Say you are in the 20% slab and you missed Rs 50,000 of interest income for AY 2024-25.
- Tax on the missed income: 20% of Rs 50,000 = Rs 10,000
- Interest on that tax (at the normal rates): say Rs 1,200
- Aggregate: Rs 10,000 + Rs 1,200 = Rs 11,200
File within 12 months (by 31 March 2026) and the additional tax is 25% of Rs 11,200 = Rs 2,800. Total extra payment: Rs 10,000 + Rs 1,200 + Rs 2,800 = Rs 14,000.
Wait till the 50% slab and the same omission costs Rs 16,800. The tax itself never changes — only the extra charge grows. Filing early is the cheapest move you can make.
What are the last dates for ITR-U?
The window runs 48 months from the end of the assessment year. For AY 2024-25 (the year that ended on 31 March 2025):
- 25% additional tax: till 31 March 2026
- 50% additional tax: till 31 March 2027
- 60% additional tax: till 31 March 2028
- 70% additional tax: till 31 March 2029 — the final date
For AY 2025-26 (ended 31 March 2026), the same ladder runs one year later: 25% till 31 March 2027, 50% till 31 March 2028, 60% till 31 March 2029, and the final date is 31 March 2030.
Note the sequence. For AY 2026-27, the belated window runs till 31 December 2026 and revised returns can be filed till 31 March 2027 with a late fee. ITR-U for that year only becomes the relevant route after those windows close. If a cheaper window is still open for your year, use it first — ITR-U is the last resort, not the first choice.
What changed in 2025: the 48-month window
Budget 2025 doubled the ITR-U window from 24 months to 48 months, effective 1 April 2025, and added the 60% and 70% slabs to the additional-tax ladder. Before this change, a taxpayer who discovered an omission three years late had no voluntary route left at all.
The change matters most for AY 2023-24 and AY 2024-25. Taxpayers for those years who would have run out of time under the old 24-month rule now have until 31 March 2028 and 31 March 2029 respectively.
When can you NOT file ITR-U?
The law closes the ITR-U door in several situations. If any of these applies to the assessment year in question, you cannot file an updated return for that year:
- A search, survey, or requisition has been carried out against you
- Your books of account or assets have been seized
- Assessment, reassessment, or revision proceedings for that year are pending, or an assessment has already been completed
- Prosecution under the Income-tax Act has been started for that year
- You have already filed an updated return for that year
- The updated return would show a loss, reduce your tax, or increase your refund
If you are in one of these situations, the only path is the department’s own process — respond to notices, and take professional advice before replying.
ITR-U vs revised return vs belated return: which one fits?
| Feature | Belated return (Section 139(4)) | Revised return (Section 139(5)) | Updated return — ITR-U (Section 139(8A)) |
|---|---|---|---|
| When it can be filed | After the due date, till 31 December of the AY | After filing a return, till 31 December of the AY, extended to 31 March of the next year with a late fee | Within 48 months from the end of the AY |
| What it can do | File a missed return; correct anything, including claiming a refund | Correct any mistake, including claiming a refund | Only add income; no refund, no loss, no lower tax |
| Extra cost | Late fee under Section 234F: Rs 1,000 if income is up to Rs 5 lakh, Rs 5,000 above that, plus interest | No fresh late fee within the window; a fee applies to revisions filed after 31 December | Additional tax under Section 140B: 25%, 50%, 60% or 70% of tax + interest |
| How many per AY | One belated return, which can then be revised | Multiple revisions within the window | Only one, and it cannot be revised |
| If no return was ever filed | Yes, that is exactly what it is for | No, you need an original return to revise | Yes, even with no earlier return |
The rule of thumb: if the belated or revised window is still open, use it. It is cheaper and wider. ITR-U is for the years where those windows have already closed.
If you are still inside the current year’s windows, read our guides on belated ITR filing for AY 2026-27 and revised ITR returns first.
How to file ITR-U online
ITR-U is filed on the income-tax e-filing portal. The flow, in order:
- Log in to incometax.gov.in with your PAN and password.
- Go to e-File, then Income Tax Return, and select the assessment year you want to update.
- Choose the filing type “Updated return under Section 139(8A)” and pick the ITR form that applies to you (ITR-1, ITR-2, and so on).
- Fill in the form with the corrected figures — the full income for the year, not just the missed part — and complete the ITR-U section, which asks for the reason for updating and the computation of tax, interest, and additional tax.
- Pay the total amount (tax + interest + additional tax) through e-Pay Tax on the portal using challan ITNS-280, and enter the challan details in the return. The return cannot be filed until this payment is made.
- Submit the return and e-verify it within 30 days — Aadhaar OTP, net banking, or any of the other methods in our e-verify ITR guide.
- Keep the acknowledgement (ITR-V) and the payment receipt. If you filed no return earlier for that year, keep the ITR-U acknowledgement with the same care — it is your proof of voluntary disclosure.
One practical warning: the portal will not accept an ITR-U for a year where any of the bars listed above apply, and it will not accept one after the 48-month window closes. Check both before you start.
By the numbers
- 48 months — the outer ITR-U window from the end of the assessment year (Budget 2025, up from 24 months)
- 25% to 70% — the additional-tax ladder under Section 140B, rising with delay
- 1 — the number of updated returns allowed per assessment year
- 30 days — the e-verification deadline after filing, same as any other return
- 31 March 2029 — the final ITR-U date for AY 2024-25
Frequently asked questions
Who can file ITR-U?
Any taxpayer — individual, HUF, firm, company, or LLP — who missed reporting income for an assessment year can file ITR-U, even if they never filed a return for that year. The only condition is that none of the bars (search, survey, seizure, pending or completed assessment, prosecution, or an earlier ITR-U for the same year) apply.
What is the last date to file ITR-U for AY 2024-25?
The window closes 48 months after the end of the assessment year. For AY 2024-25, the final date is 31 March 2029, with the additional tax at 70% in that last year. Filing earlier is much cheaper: 25% till 31 March 2026 and 50% till 31 March 2027.
How much additional tax do I pay on ITR-U?
25% of the tax plus interest if you file within 12 months of the AY ending, 50% within 24 months, 60% within 36 months, and 70% within 48 months. The base tax on the missed income does not change — only the extra charge rises with delay.
Can I file ITR-U if I never filed a return for that year?
Yes. ITR-U is available even when no return was filed earlier for that year. You fill in the applicable ITR form with the full corrected figures and attach the ITR-U computation, then pay the tax, interest, and additional tax before submitting.
Can ITR-U be used to claim a refund?
No. ITR-U can only add income. If the correction would reduce your tax, increase a refund, or show a loss, ITR-U is not available. In that case, a revised return within its window — or the department’s own process — is the route.
Can an updated return be revised later?
No. An ITR-U is final and cannot be revised. That is why the figures need to be checked carefully before submitting: a second omission in the same year cannot be fixed with another ITR-U.
Is ITR-U better than waiting for a notice from the tax department?
If you know income was missed, yes. Voluntary disclosure through ITR-U settles the matter at the Section 140B rates, while a notice can lead to scrutiny, a best-judgement assessment, and penalty proceedings that cost more than the ITR-U charge. Waiting only makes sense if you are unsure whether income was actually missed — in that case, check AIS and TIS first.
Official sources
- Income Tax e-Filing Portal: incometax.gov.in
- Income Tax Department (Act, rules, and circulars): incometaxindia.gov.in
- Finance Act, 2025 — the 48-month ITR-U extension and the 60%/70% additional-tax slabs
Reviewed by Asuthod Rathod, CA | Last updated: 25 October 2026
Disclaimer: This article is general information about tax law, not personal tax advice. Section numbers refer to the Income-tax Act, 1961, which still governs returns for AY 2026-27; the Income-tax Act, 2025 applies from the next tax year. For a complex case — especially where a notice, search, or assessment is involved — consult a chartered accountant before filing.
Editorial byline for eircicai freelancer tax and ITR filing guides — covering 44ADA presumptive tax, advance tax, and ITR filing. Content is reviewed by Asuthod Rathod, CA.