India, Sept. 15 -- With the due date for filing income tax returns (ITR) upon us, millions of taxpayers are in a last-minute rush to complete their ITR filing before the deadline.

While the filing process has become simpler, thanks to pre-filled forms and digital tools, common mistakes can still lead to penalties, refund delays, or scrutiny notices. Here's a breakdown of frequent errors by different categories of taxpayers-and how to avoid them.

Salaried taxpayers are the largest group of ITR filers, but they often overlook key details. The common mistakes are:

Fix: Double-check AIS/26AS, claim all deductions, and use the portal's Old vs New regime comparison tool before final submission.

Freelancers, consultants, and gig economy work...