ITR-6 is the return of income for every company other than one claiming exemption under section 11. The CBDT notified the AY 2026-27 forms on 30 March 2026, with a corrigendum on 10 April 2026, so the form has been stable for most of the year. That is good news: companies and their advisers have had time to understand the new fields well before the filing deadline.
This year’s changes are largely about sharper disclosure rather than new tax. Several fields mirror the revised Form 3CD, a couple of schedules have been removed because the law behind them has changed, and a few disclosures have been tightened to make data-matching easier. With the tax audit report already being finalised, now is the right time to line up the ITR-6 data with the audited numbers.
| Important: which law applies? AY 2026-27 is governed entirely by the Income-tax Act, 1961. The Income-tax Act, 2025 applies to income from 1 April 2026 (Tax Year 2026-27), so this is the last ITR-6 that companies will file under the 1961 Act. |
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1. Due dates at a glance
By Circular No. 07/2026 dated 28 September 2026, the CBDT extended the due dates for audit cases. The current position for companies is summarised below.
| Compliance | Original date | Current due date |
|---|---|---|
| Tax audit report (Form 3CA/3CD) | 30 Sep 2026 | 21 Oct 2026 |
| ITR-6 – companies (audit cases) | 31 Oct 2026 | 21 Nov 2026 |
| Transfer pricing report (Form 3CEB) | 31 Oct 2026 | 31 Oct 2026* |
| ITR-6 – transfer pricing cases | 30 Nov 2026 | 30 Nov 2026* |
| Belated return | 31 Dec 2026 | 31 Dec 2026 |
| Revised return | 31 Dec 2026 | 31 Mar 2027 (fee u/s 234-I for the extended window) |
| Updated return (ITR-U) | – | Up to 31 Mar 2031, with additional tax |
* The circular extends the dates for audit cases; transfer pricing dates are shown at their statutory position. Please confirm against the latest CBDT notifications before filing.
Revised return window. The Finance Act 2026 extended the time to revise a return to 12 months from the end of the relevant year. A revision filed in the extended period (after the earlier nine-month limit) carries a fee under section 234-I of ₹1,000 where total income does not exceed ₹5 lakh and ₹5,000 in other cases. ITR-6 now has a field to report this fee.
2. Key changes in the ITR-6 form for AY 2026-27
2.1 Schedule BBS removed
Where it shows up: ITR-6 only
From 1 October 2024, tax on buyback moved from the company (section 115QA) to the shareholder, where the proceeds are treated as deemed dividend under section 2(22)(f). Since companies no longer pay buyback distribution tax, Schedule BBS has been dropped from ITR-6.
Practical point: A company that bought back its own shares in FY 2025-26 has no buyback tax to report. Ensure the TDS on the deemed dividend paid to shareholders is correctly reflected in the TDS returns.
2.2 Buyback received by the company as a shareholder
Where it shows up: Schedule OS and capital gains schedules (ITR-2, 3, 5 and 6)
Where the company itself held shares that were bought back by the investee, the amount received is reported as deemed dividend in Schedule OS. The cost of the shares surrendered becomes a capital loss, and the capital gains schedule now has a dedicated row for this buyback loss.
The Form 3CD has a new Clause 36B capturing buyback receipts and the cost of acquisition, so the ITR-6 figures should match the audit report.
Practical point: Check whether a deduction under section 80M is available for dividend (including deemed dividend) onward-distributed by the company within the specified time.
2.3 Interest on delayed MSME payments
Where it shows up: Part A – OI (Other Information), ITR-3, 5 and 6
Section 43B(h) already defers the deduction for sums payable to micro and small enterprises beyond the MSMED Act timelines (agreed period up to 45 days, or 15 days where there is no agreement). Separately, section 23 of the MSMED Act makes the interest on such delayed payments non-deductible. A new column now captures this disallowed interest.
Practical point: Use the MSME vendor ageing prepared for Form 3CD Clause 22 and Clause 26 as the single source for both the 43B(h) disallowance and the interest disallowance, so the return and audit report tell the same story.
2.4 Futures & options turnover and income
Where it shows up: Part A – Trading Account, ITR-3, 5 and 6
Companies with F&O activity now report F&O turnover and the related income credited to the profit and loss account in specific columns of the trading account.
Practical point: Treasury companies and those parking surplus funds in derivatives should compute turnover as per the ICAI Guidance Note before populating these columns.
2.5 Single-rate capital gains reporting
Where it shows up: Capital gains schedules, ITR-2, 3, 5, 6 and 7
Last year, gains had to be split between transfers before and on or after 23 July 2024 because rates changed mid-year. FY 2025-26 has a single rate structure, so the bifurcation has been removed – a welcome simplification.
2.6 Interest and remuneration from partnership firms
Where it shows up: Schedule IF, ITR-3, 5 and 6
A company that is a partner in a firm or LLP now discloses the interest and remuneration due or received from each firm, alongside its share of profit and capital.
Practical point: Match these figures with the firm’s TDS under section 194T, which applies to payments to partners from 1 April 2025.
2.7 New presumptive scheme for non-residents – section 44BBD
Where it shows up: Part A – General and Schedule BP, ITR-3, 5 and 6
Section 44BBD (inserted by the Finance Act 2025) deems 25% of specified receipts as income for non-residents providing services or technology for setting up electronics manufacturing in India. Foreign companies opting for it now have a declaration and specific reporting rows.
2.8 Interest taxable at the concessional 9% rate
Where it shows up: Schedule OS, ITR-2, 3, 5, 6 and 7
Interest on specified long-term or rupee-denominated bonds listed on an IFSC exchange, taxed at a concessional rate (linked to section 194LC), now has a separate row. This mainly concerns foreign companies and supports cleaner TDS credit matching.
2.9 Donation details under section 80G
Where it shows up: Schedule 80G, ITR-1 to 6
For each donation, the UPI transaction reference or cheque/IMPS/NEFT/RTGS reference and the bank’s IFSC must now be furnished.
Practical point: Companies under section 115BAA cannot claim 80G (or most Chapter VI-A deductions); this field matters only for companies under the normal provisions. CSR spend is not deductible in any case.
2.10 General information: simpler in places, fuller in others
Where it shows up: Part A – General, all ITR forms
- Auditor details streamlined: only the date of furnishing the audit report, its acknowledgement number, and the audit firm’s name and PAN are now required.
- Secondary address: a new field for a secondary address, with mobile numbers and email IDs relabelled as primary and secondary contacts.
- Representative assessee: only name, email ID and contact number are required.
3. Other points to get right
3.1 Tax regime and rates
| Option | Base rate | Key conditions |
|---|---|---|
| Normal provisions (domestic) | 25% / 30% | 25% where turnover or gross receipts of FY 2023-24 did not exceed ₹400 crore; MAT at 15% of book profit applies |
| Section 115BAA | 22% | No MAT; most exemptions and deductions forgone (80JJAA and 80M remain); option once exercised via Form 10-IC continues |
| Section 115BAB | 15% | New manufacturing companies that began production by 31 March 2024; Form 10-ID |
| Foreign company | 35% | Rate reduced from 40% with effect from AY 2025-26 |
Surcharge and health & education cess apply as applicable. Under section 115BAA the effective rate works out to 25.168%.
Companies still under the normal provisions with brought-forward MAT credit should evaluate the switch to section 115BAA carefully: the switch is irreversible and the MAT credit lapses on moving over.
3.2 Practical filing checklist
- Audit-to-return alignment: Reconcile ITR-6 with the revised Form 3CD, especially Clause 22 (MSME), Clause 26 (section 43B including 43B(h)), Clause 31 (code-based loan and deposit reporting) and Clause 36B (buyback receipts).
- AIS, TIS and Form 26AS: Match income and TDS/TCS credits; give AIS feedback for duplicates, such as buyback proceeds appearing both as dividend and as a sale.
- Shareholding and assets: Unlisted companies should complete Schedule SH-1 and Schedule AL-1 carefully; start-ups use SH-2 and AL-2.
- Carry-forward of losses: Test the 51% continuity of shareholding under section 79 for closely held companies, and remember that business losses can be carried forward only if the return is filed by the due date.
- Foreign operations: Report foreign subsidiaries, accounts and other interests in Schedule FA, and claim foreign tax credit in Schedules FSI and TR with Form 67 filed in time.
- Ind AS companies: Complete the Ind AS balance sheet and P&L schedules and the MAT adjustments (where MAT applies) from the audited financials.
- Interest and fees: Compute interest under sections 234A, 234B and 234C, and remember the late fee under section 234F if the deadline is missed.
- Verification: ITR-6 must be verified with the Digital Signature Certificate of a director or other authorised person. Check the DSC’s validity and registration on the portal early.
4. Looking ahead
From Tax Year 2026-27, returns will be filed under the Income-tax Act, 2025, with the familiar “assessment year” concept giving way to the “tax year”. Section numbers and some forms will change, though the core computation is largely carried over. Companies that close AY 2026-27 with clean reconciliations, tidy MSME and related-party data, and well-documented positions will find the transition far smoother.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information and reflects the provisions and notifications as understood on 15 October 2026. It is not professional advice. Please consult us before acting on any of the points above, as the position may change with further CBDT notifications.