New Delhi: The Income Tax Department has launched the Excel utilities for ITR-2 and ITR-3 forms for Assessment Year (AY) 2025-26, making it easier for taxpayers with complex incomes such as capital gains or cryptocurrency earnings to file their returns.
What the IT Department Said
Announcing the update on social media platform X, the Income Tax Department said:
“Attention Taxpayers! Excel Utilities of ITR-2 and ITR-3 for AY 2025-26 are now live and available for filing.”
Taxpayers can now visit the ‘Downloads’ section on the official Income Tax e-filing portal, download the utilities as a zip file, and extract the Excel file to start preparing their returns offline.
Who Can File ITR-2?
ITR-2 is meant for individuals and Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) who don’t earn from business or profession. It is suitable for those who have:
- Income from capital gains (like selling shares or property)
- Income from foreign assets or multiple sources
- Income that needs to be clubbed with that of a spouse or minor child
- Crypto earnings or other digital assets
However, ITR-2 is not for people with business income or who earn from partnership firms.
Who Can File ITR-3?
ITR-3 is used by individuals and HUFs who have income from business or profession, including income from being a partner in a firm, or earning through freelancing, consulting, or proprietorships.
Previous Utilities Were Limited
Before this, only the ITR-1 (Sahaj) and ITR-4 (Sugam) utilities were available—these were for people with simpler income like salaries, one house property, or small businesses. The release of ITR-2 and ITR-3 now covers a much wider group of taxpayers.
New Due Date Extended
The last date to file ITR for FY 2024-25 has been extended from July 31, 2025, to September 15, 2025. This decision was taken by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) because of major changes in the ITR forms and to give enough time for the system to be ready.
The department said the extension will help taxpayers file correctly, reduce stress, and make the overall filing process smoother.
Now, with the Excel utilities available and the deadline extended, taxpayers can file their returns with more ease and accuracy.
