How to e-Verify Income Tax Return (ITR) without login to the e-filing portal?

Why e-Verify the ITR?

The return filing process is incomplete without the e-Verification of the ITR. An ITR is treated as invalid without its verification within the stipulated time. e-Verification is the instant and most convenient way to verify the ITR.

The taxpayer or his authorized representative may also e-Verify other responses /requests /services and complete the respective processes, including verification of:

• e-Proceedings
• Income Tax Forms
• Rectification/ Refund Issue/Service Requests
• Condonation of Delay where ITR is filed after the due date
• Bulk uploading of ITR by e-Return Intermediary

After filing the ITR, the taxpayer has three options for Verification of the same of which two deal with e-verification as under:

• e-Verify Now (instant e-Verification via Aadhar OTP/Prevalidated Bank account/ Prevalidated Demat account)
• e-Verify Later (the taxpayer can submit the return for now and e-Verify within 30 days of submission)

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Different ways in which one can e-Verify the ITR

The taxpayer can e-Verify the ITR online using:

• OTP on the Aadhaar registered mobile number, or
• Electronic Verification Code (EVC) generated through your pre-validated Bank account/Demat account, or
• EVC through ATM (offline method), or
• Net Banking, or
• Digital Signature Certificate (DSC).

However, note that the net banking or DSC option is not available for e-Verification without login to the e-Filing portal.

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Prerequisites for e-Verifying the return without login to e-Filing portal

The taxpayer can e-Verify the ITR without login to the e-Filing portal only when:

• Returns filed for Assessment Year is 2019-20 and onwards
• Returns where DSC is not mandatory
• Returns are not filed by an Authorised Signatory or Representative Assessee

However, the Authorised Signatories and Representative Assessees are required to log in to their accounts to e-Verify the taxpayer’s return in their respective capacity.

Acknowledgement Number received on submitting the ITR is a must for e-Verifying the return without login to the e-Filing portal.

The prerequisites for different e-filing methods are as under:

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Steps for e-Verifying the return without login to e-Filing portal (with images)

Step-1: Click e-Verify Return on the home page of the e-filing portal

Step-2: On the e-Verify Return page:

• - Enter the PAN,
• - Select the relevant Assessment Year (note that e-verification on the new portal can be done for the returns relating to the Assessment Year 2019-20 and onwards),
• - Enter the Acknowledgment Number of the ITR filed and
• - Enter the Mobile Number and click Continue.

Step-3: Enter the 6-digit Mobile OTP received on the mobile number entered in Step-2 and click on the ‘Submit’ button.

Note the following:

• - The OTP remains valid for 15 minutes only.
• - 3 attempts are provided to enter the correct OTP.
• - The expiry countdown timer on the screen tells when the OTP will expire and become invalid.
• - A new OTP will be sent when you request for 'Resend OTP.'

Step-4: If you are e-Verifying the ITR after 30 days of filing, click ‘Ok’.

Step-5: For submitting a condonation delay request, select the Reason of Delay from the dropdown and click Continue. The dropdown consists of the following options:

• - ITR-V was sent earlier by post but not received by CPC
• - Not aware that the ITR-V sent to CPC was rejected for technical reasons
• - Not aware of the e-Verification process
• - Not aware that the signed ITR-V to be sent to CPC
• - Others (enter the reason for the delay in the ‘Remarks’ textbox)

Step-6:

Select the e-Verification mode to proceed further. The steps for different e-Verification modes are enlisted below. After completing the verification, a success message page displays ‘Successfully e-verified’ and the date of verification alongside. A Transaction ID and EVC (only where the preferred option selected for verification is through EVC) is also displayed. It is advisable to note the Transaction ID and EVC for future reference. A confirmation message shall also be sent on your e-mail ID and the mobile number registered on the e-Filing portal.

a) e-Verify after generating Aadhaar OTP

• 1. To select this mode of e-Verification, select ‘I would like to verify using OTP on the Mobile Number registered with Aadhaar’ and click continue.
• 2. To proceed further, select the ‘I agree to validate my Aadhaar Details’ checkbox on the Aadhaar OTP page and click ‘Generate Aadhaar OTP.’
• 3. Enter the 6-digit OTP received on your registered mobile number and click ‘Validate’.

b) e-Verify using existing Aadhaar OTP

• 1. To select this mode of e-Verification, select ‘I already have an OTP on the Mobile Number registered with Aadhaar’ and click continue.
• 2. Enter the 6-digit OTP received on your registered mobile number and click ‘Validate.’`
(Note for the above two methods of verification:
• - The OTP remains valid for 15 minutes only.
• - 3 attempts are provided to enter the correct OTP.
• - The expiry countdown timer on the screen tells when the OTP will expire and become invalid.
• - A new OTP will be sent when you request for 'Resend OTP.’)

c) e-Verify using existing EVC

• 1. To select this mode of e-Verification, select ‘I already have an EVC.’
• 2. An ‘Enter EVC’ textbox appears right under the method selected. Enter EVC in that textbox and click Continue.

(Note that EVC can also be generated through Bank ATM (Offline Method). The service to generate EVC through Bank ATM is provided by the following banks only:

• - Axis Bank Ltd,
• - Canara Bank,
• - Central Bank of India,
• - ICICI Bank,
• - IDBI Bank,
• - Kotak Mahindra Bank and
• - State Bank of India)

The steps for the same are given below:

Step 1: Enter PIN on swiping the card and select ‘Generate EVC for Income tax Filing’ An EVC shall be sent to your registered e-mail ID and mobile number that is registered on the e-Filing website.

(Note: The PAN must be linked to your respective Bank account, and the same should be registered on the e-Filing website.)

Step 2: The generated EVC can be used to e-Verify the return by selecting ‘I already have an Electronic Verification Code (EVC)’ as a preferred mode of e-Verification.

d) e-Verify after generating EVC through bank/Demat Account

• 1. To select this mode of e-Verification, select ‘Through Bank Account’/‘Through Demat Account’ under the ‘Generate Electronic Verification Code (EVC)’ section and click Continue.
  EVC will be sent to your e-mail ID, and mobile number registered with your pre-validated and EVC enabled bank/Demat account.
• 2. Enter the EVC received on your registered e-mail ID and mobile number in the ‘Enter EVC’ textbox and click e-Verify.