New Income Tax Portal - First Glance and Views

What is New in the Advanced Portal

There are many features in the revised portal. According to the CBDT, the portal was built to serve four main purposes: to be speedy, to provide convenience and usability and for accuracy.

The new portal is packed with many groundbreaking features that simplify the procedures and updates to your account. Some noteworthy features include the following:

• Easy filing of ITRs and speedy processing to avail returns and refunds on the ITRs is an important upgrade to the site.
• Enhanced security, along with multiple ways to log in to your account.
• Improved, user-friendly dashboard that is simple to navigate. The interface is readable and the very role-based, categorized menus assist the processing of commands and edits made to your profile.
• The ‘Help’ section is the most notable feature. It hosts a myriad of videos and other forms of content like articles, user manuals, detailed FAQs, that aid in understanding the workings of the site as well as the procedures on the site.
• Adding on to the Help, the updated site also has a dedicated call centre for taxpayer assistance. A chatbot and live agents on request are always active to help with the queries and functionalities.
• Alongside a multitude of ways to log in and ensure the security of your account, there are equally many ways to pay your taxes and seek returns. Filing ITR forms 1 and 4 (online and offline) and ITR form 2 (offline) can be done using free of cost software that easily and swiftly processes the tax requests. CBDT mentioned that the facilities for ITRs 3, 5, 6, and 7, facilities will soon be made available.
• The dashboard interface also makes it easier for the user to update and keep track of personal details without a hitch of doubt. The dashboard also provides updates about pending actions, interactions, and uploads the user is yet to take action upon.
• Soon after the transitions from the older site to the newer are done and the users are acquainted, the MoF promised to roll out a mobile application for Android and iOS.

First Look at the Features

Pre-Login

Before you log in to the portal as a user, the webpage contains menus and help sections on the basis of the kinds of users that can avail of the services of the renewed income tax site. Options on the bar include Home, Individual/HUF, Company, Non-Company, Tax Professionals & Others, along with additional options called Downloads and Help.

If you’re an individual/HUF seeking to learn more about the processes and procedures of the income tax site, hover your cursor over the option. A drop-down menu floats under your selection, which further provides assistance on the related subcategories of the option you have selected.

Scrolling down, the webpage lists the services that the site provides. These include options like verifying your Aadhar, linking your Aadhar, knowing your ITR status and seeking refunds on the ITRs. Below these services is the nest of user-friendly videos that concisely and clearly provide the help you need to understand the site and navigate it accordingly. Right next to it lies the chatbot that you may use to seek further assistance.

However, to access all these services, you must be registered with the portal. After registering, you will be able to access the post-login features.

Post-Login

After logging in with your user ID and password, you will finally be able to access your dashboard. The dashboard is the landing page that contains a wide range of options and information at your immediate disposal.

The blue bar under the logo contains all the options. It contains the e-File option that drops down to show buttons to file forms, returns and know the statuses of your filings. THe Authorized Partners option produces a menu to see who your authorized partners can be and how you can make use of them, in addition to requesting for one.

The neighbouring menu, Services, is the one that contains all other uncategorized functionalities that you can avail. These include checking for tax mismatches, rectifications, refunds and reissues, condonation and challan requests, generating electronic verification code among others.

Options that require your responsibility and action towards them are grouped under the Pending Actions menu. It contains options for you to look at your worklist, respond to the outstanding demand and e-proceedings. It also has the option for you to check your annual statement.

The Grievances menu lets you convey your complaints and inconveniences to the support team. It also keeps track and keeps you updated on the statuses of your previous grievances.

The additional Help menu contains a comprehensive list of assistive sections and options that take you through the intricacies of the updated features on the new site thoroughly. The chatbot is always present on the page to further assist you. Right above the bar lies the option for you to view your profile and your personal details. It can be edited and updated whenever. Ensure that your details are up to date so as to avoid hassles in communication.

To the left of the page is a status bar that shows the percentage of information required and uploaded to your profile to consider it complete. Ensure that all your details are correct. This will allow you to make the most of the website and its features.

These features on the site will soon be available in the comfort of your mobile phone too, as soon as the Android and iOS applications roll out. The new portal simplifies the many complications that the old website posed with regard to usability, convenience and speed on all fronts.