If you run a business or practice a profession in India, Section 44AB of the Income Tax Act decides whether you need a tax audit. The rules are straightforward once you know the thresholds.

BUSINESS OWNERS
You must get your accounts audited under Section 44AB if your total sales, turnover, or gross receipts exceed Rs 1 crore in a financial year.

However, if your cash receipts and cash payments each do not exceed 5% of total receipts and total payments respectively, the turnover threshold is raised to Rs 10 crore. This higher limit was introduced to encourage digital transactions.

PROFESSIONALS
If you are a professional (doctor, lawyer, chartered accountant, architect, etc.) and your gross receipts exceed Rs 50 lakh in a financial year, Section 44AB requires a tax audit.

If you opt for presumptive taxation under Section 44ADA and your gross receipts are within the Rs 75 lakh ceiling (with cash receipts not exceeding 5% of total receipts), you are not required to get a tax audit even if receipts exceed Rs 50 lakh. However, if you opt out of 44ADA or your receipts cross Rs 75 lakh, the standard Rs 50 lakh audit threshold under Section 44AB applies.

PRESUMPTIVE TAXATION CASES
Under Section 44AB(e), if you opted for presumptive taxation under Section 44AD but declare income below the prescribed rate (8% or 6% for digital receipts), a tax audit is required but only if your total income exceeds the basic exemption limit. Similarly, under Section 44AB(f), professionals who opted for 44ADA but declare income below 50% of gross receipts must also get audited if their income exceeds the exemption limit.

AUDIT FORMS AND REPORTS
Form 3CA/3CB: the audit report itself (3CA for persons already required to get audited under another law, 3CB for others)
Form 3CD: the statement of particulars with all detailed disclosures
These forms are filed electronically on the Income Tax portal before the due date.

DUE DATE
The tax audit report must be filed by 30 September of the relevant assessment year. For FY 2025-26, this means the deadline is 30 September 2026. The income tax return due date for audited persons is 31 October.

PENALTY FOR NON-COMPLIANCE
Under Section 271B, if you fail to get your accounts audited, the penalty is 0.5% of total sales, turnover, or gross receipts, or Rs 1,50,000, whichever is lower.

PRACTICAL TIP
If your turnover is approaching the Rs 1 crore mark, track your cash transactions carefully. Keeping cash receipts and payments below 5% of totals raises your audit threshold to Rs 10 crore and builds a cleaner financial trail.