When you file your income tax in India as a self-employed person, you report and pay taxes on money you make from your own business, freelance work, or consulting. All self-employed people, including freelancers, consultants, and small business owners, must report their income and pay taxes on it. Self-employed people don't get Form 16 like salaried workers do. Instead, they figure out their taxable income based on their business receipts, expenses, and deductions. The Income Tax Department runs the process through online filing systems. The official Income Tax Portal and professional platforms like Auditfiling make it easy for freelancers, consultants, and small business owners to file their ITR.
Not only is filing an ITR required by law, it's also an important step toward being financially trustworthy. It helps you get loans, get tenders, or apply for visas. Filing under the presumptive taxation scheme (Section 44ADA for professionals and Section 44AE for transporters) makes it easier to follow the rules because you can declare your income on a presumptive basis instead of keeping detailed records. Filing on time makes sure you can get tax saving for self-employed deductions, helps you avoid penalties, and makes it easy to keep track of advance tax for self-employed payments.
Keeping the right documents is very important for filing your freelancer income tax filing India or your business taxes. To make sure that your taxable income is calculated correctly, you will need to show proof of your identity, income, and expenses.
Bank verification with PAN Card and Aadhaar Card Statements that show how much money you make and spend
Form 26AS, AIS, and TIS for financial information that has already been filled out
Invoices, receipts, and vouchers are all forms of proof of income.
Records of costs for things like rent, utilities, and office supplies that can be written off
Proofs of investment in LIC, PPF, and health insurance under Sections 80C and 80D
Receipts for payments of Advance Tax or Self-Assessment Tax
Losses and Gains For people who file ITR-3 and keep books, here are their accounts and balance sheets.
The new tax regime will still be the default for the fiscal year 2026–27 (AY 2027–28). It has lower rates and bigger rebates for people who are self-employed. People who make up to ₹75 lakh a year can file ITR-4 Sugam without having to keep detailed records. If a business makes more than this, it must use ITR-3. The new Income Tax Portal has also made it easier for professionals in India to pay their taxes by speeding up the process of e-verification and refunds.
If you are self-employed, filing your taxes makes your money situation clearer and your legal standing stronger. It makes sure that if you're self-employed, you can take deductions for business expenses, get tax breaks for being self-employed, and stay in line with GST for self-employed people if you need to. Filing on time through platforms like Audit filing keeps you out of trouble, helps you get loans in the future, and makes you look more professional.
Copy of Aadhaar Card
Copy of PAN Card
Previous Year IT Return If Any
RS: 1000/-
