ITR (Income Tax Return) form is used to report total taxable income, declare net tax liability and claim tax deductions to the Income Tax department. Every individual, HUF (Hindu Undivided Family), company or firm is required to file ITR who has an annual income of more than INR 2.5 Lakhs, even for NRIs and foreigners who earn their income in India. This process of filing ITR is called income tax filing.

Filing ITR was used to be very lengthy and tedious, but after the introduction of online filing, also referred to as e-filing, the process has been convenient and hassle-free. One can now even file ITR from the confines of their home without going to any government office and standing in long queues for hours. E-filling is very short and, one can be done with the entire process in not more than 5 minutes. To help you get through, here are the steps you need to do to file ITR online on your own.

Before proceeding, here are the important dates and announcements made by the government regarding income tax returns for FY 2019-20.

• The last date to file all income tax returns for FY 2019-20 has now been extended from 31st July 2020 and 31st October 2020 to 30th November 2020.
•  The last date for tax audit has been extended from 30th September 2020 to 31st October 2020.

Steps to File ITR Online

Other than ITR 1 & 4, all other ITR forms have to be filled by downloading an e-filing software provided by the IT Department. Keep your documents ready before proceeding.

Step 1 : Log on to the Income Tax Department portal (www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in).

Step 2 : If you are a new user, then click on ‘Registered Yourself’ button to register. In case you already have an account on the portal, click on ‘Log in Here’ button and log in using your User ID (PAN), password and captcha. Skip to Step 3 directly.

To register for the first time on the Income Tax Department portal, follow these steps below,

Step 2.1 : Select the user type from the drop-down list. The available options are,

• Individual
• HUF
• Other than Individual/HUF
• External Agency
• Chartered Accountant
• Tax Deductor and Collector
• Third Party Software Utility Developer

Select the appropriate form.

Step 2.2 : Enter your current address and your permanent address. Click on submit after clearing the captcha verification.

Step 2.3 : Enter the following details,

• PAN
• Surname
• Middle Name
• First Name
• Date Of Birth
• Residential Status (Resident/Non Resident)

You can then use PAN number as your User ID to log into to portal. Post this enter your contact details such as your mobile number and e-mail address.

Step 2.4 : Your PAN will then be verified by the system and your transaction ID as well as contact details will be displayed on the screen.

Step 2.5 : Activate your Income Tax Department account by clicking on the link sent to your e-mail ID. Once done, log in to your account.

Step 3 : Under ‘Download’, go to ‘IT Return Preparation Software’ under the relevant assessment year. Select the appropriate form and download the software. You can download either the Java utility file or the MS-Excel file.

Step 4 : Once downloaded, fill up the fields with the relevant information of your income, tax payable, and receivable refunds. Compute tax payable, pay tax and enter relevant challan details in the tax return. If you do not have a tax liability, you can skip this step.

Step 5 : Confirm the details provided and click on ‘Generate XML File’. After this, click on ‘Save XML’ button to save your ITR form at the desired location on your computer.

Step 6 : Go back to the portal. Click on ‘e-File’, then ‘Income Tax Return’. Fill up the required fields with the relevant information such as your PAN, Assessment Year, ITR Form Number, and Submission Mode. 

Step 7 : Upload the XML file by clicking on ‘Upload XML’ under the ‘Submission Mode’ option. Click on continue.

Step 8 : E-verify the return through any one of the below six modes,

• Net banking
• Bank ATM
• Aadhaar OTP
• Bank Account Number
• DEMAT Account Number
• Registered Mobile Number and e-mail ID.

On successful verification, you will receive a confirmation e-mail.

Steps to File ITR Offline

ITR can be filed offline if an individual or HUF has an income of less than INR 5 Lakhs and are not entitled to receive a refund. ‘Super Senior Citizens’ (individuals of age 80 and above) can also opt for offline filing. 

Follow the step below to file ITR offline,

Step 1 : Individuals must request for a Form 16.

Step 2 : Submit the ITR form in paper form at the Income Tax Department.

Step 3 : Once submitted, you will receive an acknowledgement slip from the IT Department.

Checking ITR Status Online

Once you have successfully submitted your ITR, you can keep track of it online by either using your Acknowledge Number that you received in the acknowledgement e-mail or SMS at the time of submission or logging into your account on the income tax portal (www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in).

• Using Acknowledgement Number 

1. Go to the income tax portal.
2. Click on the ‘Services’ tab and then select ‘ITR Status’.
3. Enter your Acknowledgement Number, PAN number and the captcha code. Click on submit.
4. The ITR status will be displayed on your screen.

• Using Login Credentials 

1. Go to the income tax portal and log into your account.
2. Click on ‘View Returns/Forms’ option on the ‘Dashboard’.
3. Select the ITR option and the assessment year. Click on submit
4. The ITR status will be displayed on your screen.