ITR Filing for AY 2025-26: When should you take expert help?

By now, you must have received your Form 16. The deadline for employers to issue Form 16 for FY 2024-25 was June 15. The Income Tax Department has already released the ITR utilities and forms. While the deadline to file your income tax return (ITR) for AY 2025-26 has been extended to September 15, 2025, you can file your return now if you have all the necessary documents and information.

But should you file it yourself or take the help of a tax expert?

Filing your tax returns accurately and on time is crucial for smooth processing and can help you avoid costly mistakes. If you are tech-savvy and have a basic understanding of taxes, you may consider filing your return on your own.

However, if your tax situation involves complex calculations—such as capital gains, business income, or claims for exemptions and deductions—you need to be very precise while entering details in the ITR forms. In such cases, one must consider consulting a tax expert to minimise the risk of errors and steer clear of potential tax complications.

Here’s how and when you may need a tax expert's help with filing correct income tax returns.

Accurate and compliant tax filing: A planner can help you with reporting all income and deductions accurately. “He can help you select the right ITR form based on your resident type and source of income type, and match all details with 26AS and AIS. This would help you with seamless processing of your tax return,” said Deepak Kumar Jain, Founder and CEO of TaxManager.in.

Maximise deductions and tax savings: Tax experts can help you to claim all eligible deductions and exemptions as per IT Rules and claim a legitimate refund if any. Jain said, “Tax Experts can even help you optimise your annual remuneration to reduce your tax payable and increase your in-hand income.”

Handle complex tax situations with ease: Jain also emphasised on a critical aspect that tax experts can not only help you understand the complexity of tax calculations in capital gains or business income or ESOPs or treatment of foreign income and assets along with disclosures but they can also help you with save taxes legitimately by guiding with correct applicable tax deductions or exemptions against these incomes.

Assistance with tax notices and refunds: Tax experts can help you with delayed refund or refund reissues or defective return notices or even take up the cases which are in scrutiny – draft the reply to the notice efficiently and make an impactful representation of your case.

This way, high accuracy with professional checks can make your life simpler and help you avoid costly mistakes you may make while handling your tax situations.