Preeti Khurana
Your income tax return filing process is not complete until you have successfully verified your income tax return. Earlier, returns could be verified via posting the ITR-V or use of digital signatures.
In a very welcome move the income tax department has now introduced several means to e-verify your income tax return. Your return can be verified by generating an EVC or electronic verification code. If you verify your return via EVC, you are no longer required to send the physical ITR-V. EVC is a 10 digit alphanumeric code and is unique to a PAN. One EVC code can validate only one return, so if you revise your return, you have to generate another EVC. This code can be obtained through various ways, lets understand them in detail –
EVC through net banking – Check if your bank is authorised by the income tax department for providing direct access to the government’s e-filing website. Also, your PAN must have been validated via KYC. You will need your internet banking password and login and transaction password to proceed. Once you login to bank’s site and request access to www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in, you will be able to generate an EVC which will be displayed on the screen and will also be sent to your registered mobile number. You can then e-verify your return with this EVC. This will be a big relief to Non Resident Indians who face distress with sending physical ITR-Vs if they don’t have digital signatures.
EVC through Aadhaar OTP – Verification of your return through aadhaar is also done via the government’s e-filing website www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in. You have to link your aadhaar card from within the government’s site and then link it with your PAN on the website mentioned above. After aadhaar is authenticated & linked, an OTP will be sent to the taxpayer’s registered mobile number. And then this OTP can be used to verify the tax return. Do note that this OTP is valid for 10 minutes.
The government has asked tax payers to mention their aadhaar number in the tax return. However, do note that mentioning your aadhaar number does not relieve you of e-verification of your tax return. Your return must be separately e-verified using any of the means mentioned here.
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EVC through ATM – Banks which have been registered with the income tax department for providing this service can be used for generating EVC through ATM machines. EVC can be generated by logging into the bank account via an ATM and selecting option ‘Generate EVC for income tax return filing’. The bank’s systems will then request the income tax department’s website to send an EVC to the taxpayers registered mobile number which can be then used for verifying your tax return. So if you are not able to login to your net banking for some reason, you will be able to generate an EVC through ATM, if your bank has been specified for this purpose by the tax department.
EVC though the www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in website – Where the tax payer’s gross total income less deductions is Rs 5 lakhs or less and there is no refund due to the tax payer, EVC can be generated from within the government’s tax filing website. Such EVC shall be sent to the registered email id and mobile number of the taxpayer. However, this option may be restricted based on the risk assessment the department has for a taxpayer, so use another method if you are unsuccessful.
Physical ITR-V – Failure of all four options could be a streak of bad luck or possibly travails of a new system. Don’t lose sleep over it. You can still verify by sending your ITR-V using the old way of printing, signing and sending via speed post. Do remember though, this document must be sent within 120 days of your e-filing.
Bear in mind that returns must be e-verified or a digital signature must be used, failing which your return submission would be considered incomplete and you may have to submit your return again.
Recently, the CBDT has extended the timeline for submitting ITR-Vs for assessment years AY 2013-14 and AY 2014-15. The ITR-V for these assessment years can now be submitted up till 31st October 2015. This is applicable for your return for AY 2013-14 which has been filed on or after 1st April 2014 till 31st March 2015. And your return for AY 2014-15 which has been filed on or after 1st April 2014 till 30th June 2015.
Author is a chartered accountant and chief editor at ClearTax.
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