ITR checklist for business and professional income
Income tax return for a proprietor, freelancer or professional (ITR-3 / ITR-4). Every item below, with where your client gets it.
Why clients should send it on time: Filing after the due date means a late fee of up to ₹5,000, interest on any tax due, and a slower refund.
The checklist
- 1
Bank statements (full year)
Every account, 1 April to 31 March, as the PDF from your bank.
Where the client gets it: Net banking or the bank's app: Account statement → choose the dates → download as PDF (not a screenshot). SBI, HDFC and ICICI all have this under Accounts or Statements. One file per account.
- 2
Sales register or invoices
All sales invoices for the year, or the sales report from Tally / your billing software.
Where the client gets it: Export the month's sales from Tally, Vyapar or your billing app, or send the invoices as PDFs. A summary with invoice numbers, GSTINs and amounts is enough.
- 3
Purchase and expense bills
Purchases, rent, salaries, electricity, phone, travel and other business expenses.
Where the client gets it: Photograph each bill with your phone, or forward the supplier's PDF. We need the ones with GST on them to claim input credit.
- 4
GST returns
GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B for the year, if you're registered for GST.
Where the client gets it: Log in at gst.gov.in → Services → Returns → View filed returns → download each month. Or ask whoever files your GST.
- 5
Form 16A / TDS certificates
From clients who deducted TDS on your payments.
Where the client gets it: Ask each client who deducted TDS from your payments; they download it from TRACES. You can also see the amounts in your AIS.
- 6
Loan statements
Interest certificate and repayment schedule for every business loan.
Where the client gets it: The lender's app or portal → Loan account → Statement or Repayment schedule. Or ask the branch to email it.
- 7
Fixed assets bought or sold
Bills for computers, vehicles, machinery, furniture, etc.
- 8
Advance tax challans
Challans for any advance tax or self-assessment tax paid.
Where the client gets it: incometax.gov.in → e-Pay Tax → Payment history, or the challan receipt emailed when you paid.
- 9
Closing stock
Value of stock on 31 March, if you keep stock.
Where the client gets it: A simple list of what's in stock on 31 March with quantity and cost, from your billing software or counted by hand.
Collecting it without the chase
- Send the list as one link on WhatsApp. The client ticks items off as they upload, from their phone.
- Each file is checked as it arrives: the right financial year, the client's own PAN, and locked AIS or bank PDFs opened.
- Reminders go out until every item is in, and stop by themselves when it is.
Other checklists
Send this checklist to a client as one link
Your client opens it on WhatsApp, uploads each item from their phone, and every file is checked as it arrives. First month free, no card.