New ITR Forms Require Extra Disclosure for Political Donations – Here’s What You Must Report

If you have donated to a political party or plan to claim a tax deduction in future, there’s an important update.

For Assessment Year 2026–27, new Income Tax Return (ITR) forms now require additional disclosure details for donations made to political parties under Section 80GGC.

🔍 What’s Changed?

Taxpayers must now provide more detailed information in Schedule 80G, including:

• Name of the political party
• Mode of payment (UPI, bank transfer, cheque, etc.)
• Transaction details and proof
• Exact donation amount

⚠️ Key Rule to Remember

• Only non-cash donations are eligible for deduction
• Deduction is available only under the old tax regime
• 100% of the donation can be claimed (with conditions)

🎯 Why This Change?

The government wants to:

• Increase transparency
• Reduce fake deduction claims
• Ensure proper tracking of political funding

This move is part of a broader push where taxpayers now need to disclose more details like F&O income, online payments, and even secondary address in ITR forms.

Should tax benefits on political donations continue, or should they be removed for more transparency?