The income tax department has taken several measures to simplify the income tax return or ITR filing for taxpayers. Further to these measures, the income tax department has launched a feature ‘e-verify return’ on its home page. The feature enables e-verification of income tax return or ITR without logging into the e-filing portal. Earlier taxpayers had to log into the e-filing portal and then e-verify their ITR. Now, with the introduction of ‘e-verify’ facility, taxpayers can verify without logging into the e-filing portal.
1. How to ‘e-verify’ without logging into the e-filing portal
A taxpayer has to visit the e-filing portal of the income tax department. The feature ‘e-verify return’ can be accessed on the home page of the portal under ‘quick-links’.
2. For which years can I e-verify using the facility?
The ‘e-verify’ facility has been provided from the ongoing assessment year. You can e-verify the ITR filed for AY 2019-20 onwards using the easy to ‘e-verify’ facility.
3. Requirements to e-verify ITR
- a. A taxpayer should have submitted the ITR for the AY 2019-20 and generated an acknowledgement in ITR-V.
- b. The ITR-V would bear an acknowledgement number, which is required under the ‘e-verify’ facility.
- c. The ITR should be submitted by a taxpayer who is not compulsorily required to use a DSC (Digital Signature Certificate) to sign the ITR.
- d. The ITR should not be filed by an authorised signatory or representative assessee.
4. How do I e-verify ITR until AY 2018-19?
The ‘e-verify’ feature on the home page of the income tax department is available only from the AY 2019-20 onwards. In the case of ITRs filed until AY 2018-19, a taxpayer has to log into the e-filing portal and e-verify the returns.
5. How do I e-verify ITR for AY 2019-20?
For the AY 2019-20, a taxpayer can e-verify the ITR under any of the two methods below:
a. Logging into the e-filing portal and selecting the ITR submitted for AY 2019-20 for e-verification.
b. E-verification through the ‘e-verify’ option provided under ‘quick-links’ on the home page of the e-filing portal.
Under the ‘e-verify’ option, a taxpayer has to type in the PAN (Permanent Account Number), choose AY 2019-20, and type in the acknowledgement number from ITR-V of the AY 2019-20.
Under the ‘e-verify’ feature, once the taxpayer types the above, the following three options would be available:
- I already have an EVC to e-verify my return.
- I do not have an EVC and I would like to generate EVC to e-verify my return.
- I would like to use Aadhaar OTP to e-verify my return.
E-verification is the last step in the ITR filing process. A taxpayer has a period of 120 days for e-verification of an ITR after submitting it or uploading it. A taxpayer can e-verify through any of the options mentioned above.
A taxpayer can generate an EVC through any of the following modes:
- EVC through Net banking facility
- EVC through bank account number
- EVC through Demat account number
- EVC through your bank ATM
Click here to know in detail about the various options to e-verify your ITR.
