Section 139 → Section 263

Return of income: original, belated, revised, updated and defective returns

New reference Section 263

Income-tax Act, 1961Section 139

Original return u/s 139(1), belated 139(4), revised 139(5), defective 139(9), updated 139(8A)
Due dates in Explanation 2 to 139(1)
Uses 'previous year' and 'assessment year'

Applies to FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27) and earlier years.

Income-tax Act, 2025Section 263

All sub-sections of 139 consolidated in section 263
Due dates and return types carried into one section
Uses the single concept of 'tax year' (section 3)

Applies from tax year 2026-27 (from 1 April 2026).

What changed

Renumbered and restructured around the tax year. The types of return and their purpose are unchanged. PAN (old 139A) is now section 262.

Practice notes

Returns for FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27), filed during 2026, are still under section 139 of the 1961 Act.
Tax year 2026-27 (1 April 2026 to 31 March 2027) is the first year reported under section 263.
Check the current due dates on the official portal before relying on any date; due dates are frequently amended or extended.

These are summaries, not the statutory text. Read the bare Act for both sections on the Income Tax Department's official site, which also has a side-by-side comparison utility.

Related sections

234A→423Interest for default in furnishing the return of income 147→279Income escaping assessment: power to assess or reassess 148→280Notice for reassessment where income has escaped assessment, and the pre-notice procedure