ITR filing 2025: Filed your return? Complete e-verification within 30 days or risk invalidation

Income tax: Verification, the final step in the return-filing process, is mandatory

With less than two months to go before the extended deadline for filing income tax returns for the assessment year 2025-26 (financial year 2024-25) – September 15 – ends, many individual taxpayers have already completed the process.

However, it is important to remember that your task does not end with submitting the return on the official e-filing website (www.incometax.gov.in) – you need to verify your ITR within 30 days of having uploaded the return online. Skipping this step would lead to your ITR being treated as invalid.

You can either verify your returns electronically or download the ITR-V (acknowledgment) form, sign it, and send a physical copy to the I-T department’s central processing centre (CPC) in Bengaluru within the 30-day window.

However, e-verification is simpler, instant, and transparent. Moreover, you can choose from several options to complete the process online.

Also read: Why you must verify your income tax returns

Aadhaar-OTP

If your mobile number is linked to Aadhaar, it is one of the simplest modes of completing the process. You need to pick the option on the e-filing portal (incometax.gov.in) to generate an OTP to e-verify your returns.

Net banking

Another straightforward mode of e-verifying returns is to log in to your net banking account and use the facility provided by most large banks for the purpose.

Also read: You can file ITR even if PAN and Aadhaar are not linked or PAN is inoperative

Electronic verification code

You can generate an EVC by logging in to your pre-validated bank account, pre-validated demat account, or even through ATMs.

You can also use the digital signature certificate (DSC) to complete the process if you have obtained one.

Once you are through with the exercise, the portal will display a message to confirm successful completion, along with a transaction ID. Since you can monitor the progress, it scores over the physical verification mode.

The income tax department will also send an email to your registered email ID.

In case you fail to complete the e-verification process within 30 days, you will have to submit a request for ‘condonation of delay’ on the official portal, justifying the delay. Once the I-T department approves your request, your return will be treated as verified.