ITR-1 now accommodates two house properties
Until last year, anyone with more than one house property had to abandon the simple ITR-1 Sahaj form and shift to the more complex ITR-2 or ITR-3. From AY 2026-27, ITR-1 has been widened to permit reporting of income from up to two house properties. Many salaried individuals with a self-occupied home and one rental property can now stay on the simpler form.
Schedule AL threshold raised to ₹1 crore
Detailed disclosure of assets and liabilities under Schedule AL is now required only if total income exceeds ₹1 crore, up from the earlier lower threshold. This removes a significant disclosure burden for upper-middle-income earners.
New regime stays default — but you can still opt out
The new tax regime remains the default for AY 2026-27. If the old regime works better for you (typically when you have substantial 80C, 80D, HRA, or home-loan interest claims), you must actively choose it while filing. Salaried individuals can switch every year; business-income taxpayers face stricter switching rules. Run the comparison before you file.