Income Tax Department Releases ITR-7 Excel Utility For AY 2026-27: Who Can Use It?

The Income Tax Department (ITD) has released the Excel utility for Income Tax Return (ITR) Form 7, or ITR-7, for assessment year (AY) 2026-27. The form applies to specified organisations and institutions that have to report income earned during financial year 2025-26.

The utility became available on July 9, 2026. It gives eligible taxpayers an offline option to prepare the return, check the information entered, and generate a file that can later be uploaded to the income tax e-filing portal.

Who Is Eligible To File ITR-7?

ITR-7 is meant for persons, including companies, required to furnish a return under Sections 139(4A), 139(4B), 139(4C) or 139(4D) of the Income-tax Act, 1961. It is not the return form used by regular salaried taxpayers.

Section 139(4A) generally covers charitable or religious trusts where the income before claiming exemptions crosses the applicable basic exemption limit. Section 139(4B) applies to political parties whose total income, before claiming the available exemption, exceeds the prescribed threshold, according to a recent report by Mint.

Section 139(4C) covers several specified entities, including scientific research associations, news agencies, certain funds and institutions, universities, educational institutions, hospitals and medical institutions, subject to the conditions under the law.

Section 139(4D) applies to certain universities, colleges and other institutions that may not otherwise be required to furnish a return under another provision.

However, an organisation should not select ITR-7 merely because it receives exempt income. From AY 2022-23, the form is not applicable to an entity whose income is unconditionally exempt under Section 10 and which is not separately required to file under Section 139.

How The Excel Utility Works

The utility can be downloaded from the income tax portal and used without staying connected to the internet throughout the preparation process. Taxpayers can fill the relevant schedules, validate the entries, and correct errors flagged by the utility.

Once the return is complete, the utility generates a JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) file. This file must be uploaded through the e-filing portal. The return should then be submitted and verified using one of the verification methods available to the taxpayer.

The department’s downloads page states that Microsoft Excel 2016 or a later licensed version, with macros enabled, is required for Excel-based utilities.

Filing Deadlines Depend On Audit Requirements

The due date will depend on the nature of the entity and whether its accounts require an audit. For non-audit cases, the due date is generally August 31, 2026. Entities covered by audit requirements generally have until October 31, 2026.

Where a transfer pricing report is required, the return-filing deadline is generally November 30, 2026. Eligible organisations should collect financial statements, donation records, registration details and audit reports early, as ITR-7 contains several schedules and disclosures that may require detailed reconciliation.

FAQs

1. Who can use ITR-7 for AY 2026-27?

ITR-7 is meant for eligible trusts, political parties, research bodies, universities, hospitals and other institutions covered under Sections 139(4A) to 139(4D).

2. Can regular salaried taxpayers file their return using ITR-7?

No. ITR-7 is meant for specified organisations and institutions and cannot be used by regular salaried individuals.

3. How is a return filed through the ITR-7 Excel utility?

Taxpayers can prepare and validate the return offline, generate a JSON file, and upload it to the income tax e-filing portal for submission and verification.