A step-by-step guide to e-verify income tax return
It is mandatory for taxpayers to verify tax returns with 120 days of its filing, and failure to do so will make the ITR invalid, meaning you will have to file a belated tax return with penalties. We tell you the e-verification process in detail
NEW DELHI: As per income tax laws, individuals having income exceeding basic exemption limit during a financial year have to mandatorily file income tax returns (ITR). The last date for filing ITR for fiscal 2019-20 (assessment year 2020-21) is 31 December, after which taxpayers may face a penalty.
The filing of ITR is a three-step process and takes more than just uploading of the return of income. The first step is filing tax returns, the second is the verification of the ITR and the third is the processing of your ITR by the income tax department.
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It is mandatory for taxpayers to verify tax returns with 120 days of its filing, and failure to do so will make the ITR invalid, meaning you will have to file a belated tax return with penalties. We tell you the e-verification process in detail.
Before e-verifying your returns, you must have your permanent account number (PAN), assessment year for which you have filed ITR, acknowledgment number (can be found on your ITR) and electronic verification code (EVC) ready. EVC is an alpha-numeric code that needs to be generated by the tax-payer.
You can generate EVC through the following options:
Net Banking: Login to your bank account and look for the ‘tax’ tab, under which you will find the e-verify link. The link will take you to the e-filing portal. Next, look for the “my account" tab, which will show the option to generate EVC. The code will be sent to your mobile number and email-id.
Bank account number: You can verify your ITR through the bank account, but remember that this facility is offered by a few banks. First, you have to validate your bank account. To do this, log in to the e-filing portal and go to "profile settings". On the page, you will be asked to enter details such as the bank’s name and the IFSC code, account number and mobile number.
Note that your account, as well as the mobile number, must be the same for your bank as well as the e-filing website. After pre-validating, go to the "my account" tab and select the "generate EVC" option. The code will be sent to your mobile number.
Bank ATM: First, swipe your debit card at a bank ATM and select the option of “generate PIN for e-filing". The EVC will get delivered to your registered mobile number.
Once you have received your EVC, log in to the e-filing portal to e-verify your ITR and click on the "e-verify" option. It can be found in the "quick links" section. Then fill in your PAN, the assessment year, and the acknowledgment number in this section to log in. Once logged in, click on "my account" and select "e-verify return" from the drop-down menu. You will see a list of your ITRs that are pending for verification. Click on the "e-verify" link for ITR you want to verify.
In the next step, click on "e-verify" link, the portal directs you to a page listing several methods for verifying your ITR. Choose the correct one and in the next page, put the EVC code generated to complete the e-verification process.
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