ITR-6 for AY 2026-27: who files, Section 115BAA and 115BAB regimes, schedules, due dates, audit linkage, and the cost of missing the 31 October deadline.
ITR-6 is the income tax return form prescribed for companies other than those claiming exemption under Section 11 of the Income Tax Act. In simple terms, every domestic private limited or public limited company that is not a charitable trust files ITR-6. With the Finance Act 2026 carrying forward the simplified corporate tax regimes under Sections 115BAA and 115BAB, plus refined reporting on capital gains and TDS reconciliation, the AY 2026-27 ITR-6 deserves a careful walkthrough.
Who Files ITR-6
- Private limited companies and public limited companies registered under the Companies Act.
- One Person Companies and Section 8 companies not claiming Section 11 exemption.
- Companies opting for the concessional regime under Section 115BAA at 22% (effective ~25.17% with surcharge and cess).
- New manufacturing companies opting for Section 115BAB at 15% (effective ~17.16%).
Companies claiming Section 11 exemption – like Section 8 entities run as charitable trusts – must file ITR-7 instead. LLPs and partnership firms file ITR-5.
Headline Changes for AY 2026-27
The Finance Act 2026 retains the dual corporate tax structure: the old regime with full deductions, and the optional Sections 115BAA and 115BAB regimes with lower rates but no business deduction stacking. ITR-6 now demands sharper disclosures around inter-company transactions, ESOP-linked expenses, and any benefit availed under the production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes.
Schedule BP (computation of business income) requires a clearer add-back of items disallowed under Section 14A, Section 40(a), and Section 43B. Schedule TPSA on transfer pricing safe harbour and Schedule FA on foreign assets remain mandatory where applicable, and the AIS now feeds substantially more pre-filled data.
Filing Workflow
- Finalise the audited financial statements under the Companies Act and the tax audit report under Section 44AB.
- Reconcile TDS credits, TCS credits, and advance tax with the AIS and Form 26AS.
- Compute taxable income under the chosen regime; confirm Form 10-IC or 10-ID is filed if opting for 115BAA or 115BAB.
- Populate ITR-6 schedules: Schedule BP, Schedule CG, Schedule OS, Schedule MAT, Schedule TPSA where applicable.
- Validate, generate JSON, attach DSC of a director, and file.
Due Date and Audit Linkage
ITR-6 must be filed by 31 October 2026 for AY 2026-27 because tax audit under Section 44AB is mandatory for every company. Filing the tax audit report in Form 3CA/3CD must precede the ITR by at least one day. Transfer pricing reports in Form 3CEB push the due date to 30 November 2026 for companies with international or specified domestic transactions.
Penalties and Belated Returns
Late filing attracts Section 234F fees (up to ₹5,000) plus Section 234A interest on unpaid tax. More critically, a belated return loses the right to carry forward business losses under Section 80. For companies in growth phases with accumulated losses, a missed deadline is a strategic, not just a tax, cost.
Conclusion
ITR-6 is denser than other forms, but it is also entirely formulaic when the underlying books, audit, and tax computation are clean. Lock the regime choice early, file Form 10-IC if needed, and walk into October with a finalised audit and a reconciled Form 26AS – the rest is execution.
