Assessment Year (AY) and Financial Year (FY) are two important terms in income tax and financial planning. They are used to determine the taxation of an individual or entity’s income.
While both terms are fundamental to understanding tax obligations and planning, their definitions, functions, and implications are markedly different
The financial year (FY) in Hindi is called वित्तीय वर्ष and assessment year (AY) in Hindi is called निर्धारण वर्ष
What is Financial Year?
The financial year is the year in which you have earned the income. It starts on the 1st of April of the calendar year & ends on the 31st of March of the next calendar year. The term “Financial Year” is also commonly referred to as F.Y. For example, the financial year 2024-25 started on April 1st, 2024, and will end on March 31, 2025.
What is Assessment Year?
Assessment year means the year (from 1st April to 31st March) in which income you earn in a particular financial year is taxed. You are required to file your income tax return in the relevant assessment year. The assessment year is the year just succeeding the Financial Year. E.g.,
- Income earned in the current Financial Year 2023-24 (i.e., from 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024) will become taxable in Assessment Year 2024-25 (i.e., from 1st April 2024 to 31st March 2025 ).
Assessment and Financial Year in India for the Recent Years
Period | Financial Year | Assessment Year |
1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 |
1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 |
1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 |
1 April 2019 to 31 March 2020 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 |
1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 |
Difference Between AY and FY
A person’s financial year is the year in which he or she receives money for tax purposes. The assessment year is the year after the financial year in which the prior year’s revenue is assessed, tax is collected, and the ITR is filed.
For example, the financial year beginning on April 1, 2022, and ending on March 31, 2023, is known as Financial Year 2022-23. The assessment year starts after the financial year ends, so AY 2023-24 will be the assessment year for F.Y. 2022-23.
Financial Year | Assessment Year |
The financial year is the time period where income is earned. | The assessment year that follows is the financial year and the period in which tax returns are filed. |
The financial year is when salaried professionals and senior citizens earn their money. | While AY is the time when the income that was earned in the financial year gets evaluated. |
Taxation and evaluation are carried out in the AY for the income that has been earned in the financial year. | Income Tax Return Forms are specialised forms for the evaluation and taxation of FY income. |
Income is always earned in the period known as the financial year it cannot be taxed prior to being earned. | After money has been earned by an individual it will be evaluated for the purpose of taxation in the latter, that is the AY. |
Why does ITR form have an Assessment Year?
Income tax forms have an assessment year because the income for any financial year is evaluated and taxed in the following year, i.e., the assessment year. Income cannot be taxed before it is earned. Adverse situations can come up either at the beginning, middle, or end of a financial year. Hence, it is made mandatory to select the Assessment year while filing income tax returns.
Important Things to Know When Filing Tax Returns During Assessment Year
It is necessary for taxpayers to remember that Assessment Year and financial year are two very different periods when they embark upon the process of filing their tax returns.
The ITR forms that are issued will always use the term AY, and it is important for taxpayers not to confuse this term with FY.
The documents that taxpayers refer to in the ITR form, such as Form 26AS, Form 16 A, capital gains statement, and tax deducted at the source or TDS, shall all be for the financial year.
In fact, FY is used for all the proofs that are submitted for evaluation during the AY.
Taxpayers always need to bear in mind that income shall get assessed only after the financial year has come to an end.
FAQs
What is the difference between Financial Year (FY) and Assessment Year (AY)?
The key differences between FY and AY are:
- Financial Year (FY): The period in which income is earned (e.g., from April 1 to March 31).
- Assessment Year (AY): The year in which the income of the financial year is assessed and taxes are calculated (e.g., the year after the financial year).
For example, if the income is earned from April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024 (FY 2023-24), the taxes on this income will be assessed in Assessment Year 2024-25.
Why is the difference between FY and AY important?
- Tax filing: Taxpayers file their returns in the Assessment Year for the income earned in the Financial Year.
- Income tax calculation: The Income Tax Department assesses income and taxes based on the Financial Year, but the actual assessment and payment happen in the following Assessment Year.
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