ITR-U (Updated Return u/s 139(8A)): 4-Year Window, Additional Tax Tiers & Restrictions

You notice that ₹2,50,000 of fixed deposit interest from FY 2023-24 never made it into your return. The deadlines for a belated or revised return for that year closed long ago. An updated return under section 139(8A), filed in Form ITR-U, is how you report it now, before the department finds it in AIS and asks.

The Finance Act, 2025 extended the window to 48 months from the end of the relevant assessment year, up from 24. The price is an additional tax under section 140B of 25% to 70% of the tax and interest due on the missed income, rising the longer you wait.

An updated return only ever adds tax. It cannot be used to claim a refund, reduce your tax, or report a loss.

Who can file an updated return

Anyone, for an assessment year still inside the 48-month window, whether they filed an original, belated or revised return for that year or no return at all. Part A of Form ITR-U asks you to pick a reason:

1. Return not filed earlier
2. Income not reported correctly, such as missed interest, dividends or capital gains
3. Wrong head of income chosen, such as F&O trading shown as capital gains instead of business income
4. Reduction of carried forward loss
5. Reduction of unabsorbed depreciation
6. Reduction of tax credit under section 115JB or 115JC (MAT or AMT credit)
7. Wrong rate of tax
8. Others

The Income-tax Act, 2025 replaces the 1961 Act from 1 April 2026 and carries the updated return forward under its own numbering. For AY 2026-27 and earlier years, the 1961 section numbers used here still apply.

When you cannot file one

If what you need is a missed refund or a tax payment that was not credited, ITR-U is the wrong tool. A missed challan or uncredited TDS is usually fixed through a rectification request under section 154; see our guide on a demand raised after you already paid tax.

The rules also bar an updated return in some cases where the department has started proceedings or holds information about you for that year, such as a reassessment notice under section 148. If you have received any notice for the year, check with a chartered accountant before filing.

What it costs: additional tax under section 140B

On top of the tax on the missed income and interest under sections 234A, 234B and 234C, you pay an additional tax worked out as a share of that tax plus interest:

Worked example

Take the ₹2,50,000 of FD interest for FY 2023-24 (AY 2024-25), taxed at the 30% slab. Ignoring cess for simplicity, the tax on it is ₹75,000. AY 2024-25 ends on 31 March 2025, so the four windows end on 31 March 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029.

Interest under section 234B runs at 1% a month on unpaid tax, about ₹9,000 a year on ₹75,000. The interest figures below are rounded for illustration; the actual amount depends on sections 234A, 234B and 234C and the month you pay, and the ITR-U utility computes it.

Filing in the first window instead of the last saves ₹87,750 on the same ₹2,50,000 of income.

The whole amount must be paid before you file. Form ITR-U asks for the challan details of the tax, interest and additional tax, and will not accept a filing with tax still due.

How to file it

1. Work out the full income for that year. An updated return is a complete return. It shows all income for the year, not only the part you missed. Start from your earlier return and the AIS for that year.
2. Pay the tax. On incometax.gov.in, go to e-File > e-Pay Tax > New Payment, choose income tax for the correct assessment year (AY 2024-25 in the example), and select the payment type the portal offers for an updated return. Note the BSR code, challan serial number, date and amount.
3. Prepare the return. Go to e-File > Income Tax Returns > File Income Tax Return, select the assessment year and filing section 139(8A) - Updated Return. Depending on the year and form, the portal may let you file online or ask you to use the offline utility from Downloads and upload a JSON file.
4. Fill Part A and Part B of ITR-U. Part A covers whether a return was filed earlier (with its acknowledgement number) and your reason for updating. Part B computes the additional income, tax, interest and the 25% to 70% additional tax. Enter the challan details here.
5. Submit and e-verify through Aadhaar OTP, net banking or DSC, within 30 days.

Before you file

1. Check AIS for the year first. Interest, dividends, share and mutual fund sales and rent in AIS are what the department compares your return with. Cover every gap in the one updated return you get for that year.
2. File early in a window if you can. Each window boundary raises the additional tax, and interest keeps running each month.
3. Look for a cheaper route. If the revised return window for the year is still open (for AY 2026-27, until 31 December 2026 unless the portal shows a different limit), a revised return under section 139(5) costs no additional tax.

If you look after returns for several family members, myutils.me shows each PAN's filings per assessment year and its AIS and TIS for every year the portal offers, after you add the PAN or press Sync. That makes it quicker to compare a past year's AIS with what was filed. It does not compute ITR-U tax; use the portal's utility for that.