First-time taxpayers: Register and file your return online

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Income tax returns (ITRs) are mandatory for individuals with income exceeding the basic exemption limit, and voluntary for those who want refund or establishing a financial track record. If this is a first-filing, you must register on the Income Tax Department's e-filing portal. Registration gives you a permanent account on the system against your PAN, which will be your user ID for future filings, refund status, and communication with the department. Without it, you will not be able to view forms, file returns, or view tax credits.

Go to the official Income Tax Department e-filing portal (incometax.gov.in). On the home page, you can find the "Register" link. Click on it. The website will prompt you to register yourself as an individual, Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), or any other type such as a firm or partnership. The majority of first-time visitors will opt for "Individual."

You will need to enter your Permanent Account Number (PAN), your sole user ID. Then, enter your last name, first name, middle name (if any), date of birth, and residence status. The system will check your PAN against the government database. Spell correctly and date of birth as in PAN records, or your registration will be declined.

Once your PAN information is authenticated, the portal will ask you for your personal email and mobile number. These are required as all OTPs, updations, and notifications from the Income Tax Department would be communicated on these. You need to give your own information, not some other person's such as an accountant or relative, so you get access directly. OTPs received on both email and mobile have to be entered to complete the verification.

Once you've done OTP verification, you would be prompted to configure a safe password for your account. Password should conform to the security requirements of the site and should be one which is easy for you to recollect but difficult for someone else to remember. You would also need to configure a personal login message—this would be authentication of original communication from the portal and avoid phishing attacks.

After completing the process successfully, an activation link is sent to your registered email. Click on the link to activate, and your registration is done. Then, you can log in to the system by using your PAN (as user ID) and password created by you. The account enables you to perform significant services like e-filing your ITR, view Form 26AS for credits, download Annual Information Statement (AIS), and refund tracking.

After registering, you can go ahead and e-file your return. The portal pre-fills the forms with information from employers, banks, and other financial institutions, therefore eliminating

errors. Verify everything with your Form 16, TDS certificates, and bank statements. For salaried taxpayers whose income is up to ₹50 lakh and does not involve complex financials, ITR-1 (Sahaj) is often the appropriate form to complete. The tax return is filed entirely online and, once filled in, must be e-verified using Aadhaar OTP, net banking, or EVC, or a signed ITR-V may be sent by post to the Central Processing Centre at Bengaluru.

Yes. PAN-Aadhaar linking is required for registration on the e-filing portal. The system may deny you the facility to proceed in case your PAN is not linked.

You are kindly asked to use your own mobile number and email. These will get all the OTPs and notices and therefore control should be yours and not of a third party.

Keep your PAN card, Aadhaar card, mobile number, and email id handy. During work, Form 16 provided by your employer comes handy while filing return.