The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has officially urged all companies to transition to the newly notified Income Tax Return (ITR) format introduced for Assessment Year 2025–26. This call for migration comes in light of several structural updates to Form ITR-6, now designed to incorporate enhanced disclosures, simplified schedules, and improved compatibility with digital compliance systems. The new format is mandatory for all corporate entities, including private limited, public limited, and foreign companies operating in India.

Key changes in the new ITR format include dedicated sections for tax regime selection, reporting of ultimate beneficial owners, detailed breakup of deductions, and integration with GST and MCA data. Companies must also furnish information on director DINs, SEZ benefits, and related party transactions with greater precision. The redesigned schema enables better cross-verification, minimizes data mismatches, and supports pre-filled data utilities, aligning with the government’s objective of creating a more streamlined and digitally empowered tax infrastructure.

The CBDT has highlighted that filings made using outdated or legacy templates will be considered defective, potentially triggering notices under Section 139(9) or delaying refund processing. Tax professionals and corporate filers are therefore advised to update their filing software, review schema changes, and verify the accuracy of disclosures in line with the revised structure. This migration to the new ITR format marks a pivotal shift in tax governance, ensuring transparency, compliance accuracy, and a unified digital filing experience for companies across India.