New Delhi, June 11 -- Skipping your income tax returns (ITRs) for two or three consecutive years is a direct trigger for an official notice from the Income Tax Department. Under standard Indian tax regulations, you can only file a return for the single, active assessment year during the regular filing window. For example, you can file for Assessment Year (AY) 2026-2027 right now, but standard channels for prior years remain locked.

To help taxpayers catch up on missed filings or report previously unrecorded income, the government introduced the Updated ITR (ITR-U) framework. This provision allows you to file an updated return for up to four years preceding the current assessment year.

If you need to fix your past tax records right now, ...