Which States File the Most ITRs? Complete State-wise Breakdown

February 18, 2026 8 min read Source: Income Tax e-Filing Portal
Maharashtra alone files more ITRs than the entire Northeast combined. With 1.40 crore filings, it accounts for 15.2% of India's 9.19 crore returns. The top 5 states contribute ~47.6% of all filings nationwide.
9.19 Cr
Total ITRs Filed
37
States & UTs
~73%
Top 10 States Share
15.2%
Maharashtra's Share

Top 10 States by ITR Filings

These ten states account for ~73.2% of all income tax returns filed in India. Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat together contribute over a third of the nation's filings.

1. Maharashtra 1.40 Cr (15.2%)
1,39,68,246
2. Uttar Pradesh 91.7 L (10.0%)
91,71,681
3. Gujarat 88.8 L (9.7%)
88,75,696
4. Rajasthan 60.8 L (6.6%)
60,84,633
5. Tamil Nadu 56.9 L (6.2%)
56,89,296
6. West Bengal 56.0 L (6.1%)
56,01,507
7. Karnataka 53.7 L (5.8%)
53,74,431
8. Delhi (NCT) 44.6 L (4.9%)
44,64,616
9. Punjab 43.1 L (4.7%)
43,05,866
10. Madhya Pradesh 37.7 L (4.1%)
37,73,514

Fastest Growing States (YoY)

Year-on-year growth reveals interesting patterns about expanding tax base and formalization of the economy.

Note: Total filings remained essentially flat at 9.19 crore in FY 2025-26 (+0.04% vs FY 2024-25), suggesting the tax base has stabilized after years of rapid expansion.
Rank State FY 2024-25 FY 2025-26 Growth
1 Haryana 34.5 L 35.1 L +1.6%
2 Telangana 30.9 L 31.4 L +1.6%
3 Rajasthan 60.3 L 60.8 L +0.9%
4 Tamil Nadu 56.4 L 56.9 L +0.8%
5 Karnataka 53.3 L 53.7 L +0.8%
6 Punjab 42.8 L 43.1 L +0.6%
7 Madhya Pradesh 37.6 L 37.7 L +0.5%
8 Uttar Pradesh 91.5 L 91.7 L +0.2%
9 West Bengal 55.9 L 56.0 L +0.2%
10 Maharashtra 1.40 Cr 1.40 Cr -0.1%
Note: Growth rates are nearly flat across all states in FY 2025-26 vs FY 2024-25, with total filings at 9.19 crore (+0.04%). Gujarat and Delhi saw marginal declines of -0.3% and -0.1% respectively.

Regional Breakdown

India's tax filing landscape shows significant regional disparities. Western India dominates with over a third of all filings, while the Northeast contributes just 1.4%.

West India

2.79 Cr
37.7% of all filings

North India

2.00 Cr
27.1% of all filings

South India

1.58 Cr
21.3% of all filings

East India

92.4 L
12.5% of all filings

Northeast

10.1 L
1.4% of all filings

What's Included in Each Region

  • West: Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu
  • North: Delhi, UP, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, HP, J&K, Chandigarh, Ladakh
  • South: Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Puducherry, Lakshadweep
  • East: West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Sikkim
  • Northeast: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura

Complete State-wise Data

Below is the complete list of all 37 states and union territories with their ITR filing counts for FY 2025-26.

Major States

Maharashtra1.40 Cr
Uttar Pradesh91.7 L
Gujarat88.8 L
Rajasthan60.8 L
Tamil Nadu56.9 L
West Bengal56.0 L
Karnataka53.7 L
Punjab43.1 L
Madhya Pradesh37.7 L
Haryana35.1 L
Telangana31.4 L
Andhra Pradesh24.8 L
Bihar22.6 L
Kerala20.7 L
Odisha13.3 L
Jharkhand12.4 L
Chhattisgarh11.7 L
Uttarakhand9.1 L
Assam7.6 L
Himachal Pradesh6.5 L
Jammu & Kashmir5.8 L
Goa2.3 L

Northeast States

Assam7,56,613
Tripura90,088
Manipur66,664
Meghalaya40,502
Nagaland25,916
Arunachal Pradesh24,303
Mizoram8,635

Union Territories

Delhi (NCT)44.6 L
Chandigarh2,99,025
Puducherry99,739
Andaman & Nicobar37,604
Dadra & Nagar Haveli27,058
Daman & Diu20,054
Lakshadweep4,808
Ladakh431

Key Insights

Why Maharashtra Leads

Maharashtra is home to Mumbai, India's financial capital, with the highest concentration of corporate headquarters, banks, and the stock exchange. The state also has a large industrial base in Pune, Nagpur, and other cities.

Gujarat's Strong Position

Despite having less than half of UP's population, Gujarat files almost as many returns. This reflects its strong business culture, industrial activity, and higher per-capita income.

Northeast's Low Filings

The entire Northeast (7 states) files a small fraction of total returns. This is due to lower urbanization, prevalence of agriculture (exempt income), and special tax exemptions under Section 10(26) for certain tribal areas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Maharashtra files the most income tax returns with 1.40 crore (14.0 million) filings in FY 2025-26, accounting for 15.2% of all filings. This is followed by Uttar Pradesh (91.7 lakh) and Gujarat (88.8 lakh).

Growth rates are nearly flat in FY 2025-26. Haryana and Telangana lead with +1.6% each. Telangana filings reached 31.4 lakh, up from 30.9 lakh in FY 2024-25.

Western India leads with 37.7% of all filings (2.79 crore), followed by North India at 27.1% (2 crore) and South India at 21.3% (1.58 crore). East India contributes 12.5% and Northeast just 1.4%.

Delhi (NCT) filed 44.6 lakh income tax returns in FY 2025-26, making it the 8th highest filing state/UT. Delhi accounts for 4.9% of all ITR filings in India.

Among states, Mizoram has the lowest filings at just 8,635. Among UTs, Ladakh has the lowest at 431 filings. Lakshadweep filed 4,808 returns in FY 2025-26.

Data Source: Income Tax e-Filing Portal Statistics. FY 2025-26 data represents total filings (9.19 crore). Year-on-year comparisons use same-period data from FY 2024-25. Regional classifications are approximate and used for analytical purposes.