Is It Possible to Switch Tax Regime At the Time of ITR Filing?:

Is It Possible to Switch Tax Regime At the Time of ITR Filing? Many salaried individuals are confused about whether they can select any tax regime while filing the ITR. This is a very common question among taxpayers. Salaried employees will soon get their Form 16 from their employer. After that, they will start gathering other necessary documents for filing the Income Tax Return (ITR). So, what if a salaried employee now wants to choose a different tax regime than the one they told their employer last year? Can they do this? The Answer is yes, they can switch the tax regime while filing the ITR. Therefore, if an individual has selected the old tax regime for TDS on salary for the previous year can switch to the new tax regime and vice versa. The new tax regime is the default one. The ITR form questions the taxpayer, "Whether opting out of the new tax regime under Section 115BAC?". If you select "Yes", you're choosing the old tax regime. If you select "No", your ITR will be filed under the new tax regime. Therefore, individuals can switch the tax regime during the ITR filing. However, there is a condition to this. Let us take a look at it.

You Can Select the Old Tax Regime in ITR if you file by This Date

Taxpayers can opt for the old tax regime only if they file their Income Tax Return on or before the due date. However, if the return is filed after the deadline, switching to the old regime is not allowed, and the new regime will apply by default.

Last Date to File ITR For FY 2024-25

Take a look at the following table.

Category of Taxpayer	Due Date for Tax Filing (FY 2024–25)
Individual / HUF / AOP / BOI (not requiring audit)	31st July 2025
Businesses (requiring audit)	31st October 2025
Taxpayers who are required to furnish report under Section 92E	30th November 2025
Revised Return	31st December 2025
Belated / Late Return	31st December 2025
Updated Return	31st March 2030 (4 years from the end of AY 2025–26)

The last dates are different for the taxpayers who are required to be audited and those who need not be audited.