Income tax return filing online is an essential annual compliance that needs to be filed within the deadline of the respective year. Failing to file ITR online or offline can attract penalties especially if your income falls under the taxable category. By following the ITR Registration Process or registering on the ITR eFiling Portal, you are all set to file an income tax return online. The blog helps you understand the ITR Registration Process step by step and thereby how to file your online income tax return.
Introduction
With the evolution of the digital era, most of the compliance requirements can be fulfilled online. Even the filing of Income Tax Returns (ITR) can be done online these days. The Income Tax Department has enabled taxpayers to file their returns online through its e-Filing Portal. For filing income tax returns, it’s necessary to be registered as a taxpayer on the portal. In this blog post, get insights in the Income Tax Registration process and also how to login to the Income Tax eFiling Portal.
What is an Income Tax Return (ITR)?
An Income Tax Return (ITR) is a form that allows a taxpayer to declare his income, expenses, tax deductions, investments, taxes, etc. According to the Income Tax Act, 1961, it’s mandatory to file an income tax return for a taxpayer under numerous scenarios. However, a number of other factors may be responsible for filing income tax returns such as the absence of requisite income, such as carrying forward losses, claiming an income tax refund, availing VISA, loan from banking institutions, term insurance, etc.
E-filing is the online process of filing an Income Tax Return (ITR) online, using the Internet. By accessing the new income tax portal with PAN-based login credentials, taxpayers can avail of various features that simplify the tax filing process.
The Income Tax Department now offers the facility for e-filing an income tax return. Before moving further into the Income Tax Registration Process, a taxpayer must have the following documents/information handy for e-filing their ITR;
- PAN
- Aadhaar Card
- Bank Statements
- Form 16
- Receipts of Donation
- Stock trading statements from the broker platform
- Insurance policies paid receipts i.e. life and health
- Bank Account information linked to PAN
- Aadhaar registered mobile number for verification of the return
- Interest certificates received from the banks
Recent Update
The Income Tax e-filing portal has recently introduced an option of ‘Pay Later’ that allows a taxpayer to complete his/her tax filing process before making any tax payments. Once you are done filing, you can pay taxes!
What are the prerequisites to register on Income Tax Portal?
As an individual, you must ensure that you have the following set of documents before going for registration on the income tax portal;
- Valid PAN
- Mobile Number
- Current Address
- Email Address
Any minor, lunatic or those who have been banned by the Indian Contract Act 1872, are not eligible to register on the income tax portal.
Stepwise process of Registering on the Income Tax Department Website
Step 1: Go to the Income Tax Department Portal
On the homepage of the portal, you will see Register on the top right-hand side of the page. Click on the ‘Register’ button to get registered on this portal.
Step 2: Fill out your PAN
Enter your PAN and don’t forget to ‘Validate’ it by clicking on the validate button. Choose ‘Yes’ if you are registering as an individual and then click on ‘Continue’.
Step 3: Enter the Basic Details
Enter your basic details as required which include First Name, Middle Name, and Last Name. After that, enter your Date of Birth, and then select Gender and your Residential Status.
Step 4: Enter your Contact Details
In order to complete the registration process, you need to provide the details listed below;
- Mobile Number
- Email ID
- Postal Address
Step 5: Verification
After successful form submission, a 6-digit OTP will be sent to the mobile number and email ID you have given in the form. Enter OTPs correctly to get your form verified successfully.
In case of non-residents, the verification OTP is only sent on the registered email address.
Step 6: Verify the details submitted
After validating the OTP, you will be redirected to a new window to verify the entered details. In case, you need to make some changes in your entered details, you can go back to the previous window, do the corrections you want, and then validate the details by requesting OTP.
Step 7: Set a password
Upon verification, set a valid password for your account and also set a secure login message. The password must be a combination of upper case letters, lower case letters, and also special characters.
Step 8: Click on 'Register'
Click on the ‘Register’ button and you will receive an acknowledgment number on the successful registration.
How can you log in to the eFiling Portal of Income Tax Department?
Income Tax eFiling Portal Login
In order to log in to the eFiling Portal, follow the steps mentioned below;
Step 1: Visit eFiling Portal of Income tax department
Go to the Income Tax eFiling Portal. On the homepage, you will see a ‘Login’ button in the top right corner, click on the button to log in to this Income Tax Department portal.
Step 2: Provide your Login Credentials
Now, you will be asked to enter your credentials to login to your account.
Note: Remember that your PAN number is your ‘User ID’.
Note: Remember that your PAN number is your ‘User ID’.
Step 3: Confirm secure access message and enter your password
After proceeding further, you will be asked to confirm your secure access message and then enter your account password. After entering your valid password, simply click on ‘Continue’. You will be taken to the dashboard page.
Note: You can log in to your eFiling account only if you have already registered to this portal.
Who is required to file an ITR in India?
Filing Income Tax Return (ITR) is obligatory in India for people whose annual income is more than the tax free limit shown in the table below;
| Age | Tax-free limit (Old Tax Regime) | Tax-free limit (New Tax Regime) |
|---|---|---|
|
Below 60 Years |
Rs 2.5 lakh |
Rs 3.0 lakh |
|
60 Years or Above (but below 80 years) |
Rs 3.0 lakh |
|
|
80 Years or Above |
Rs 5.0 lakh |
If you want to file an income tax return online, ITR registration is a must. By following ITR Registration Process steps, you can register yourself as a taxpayer on eFiling Portal of the Income Tax Department of India. Post ITR Registration, you need to login on the eFiling Portal and then you can file your income tax return online easily from the comfort of your office or home. Follow the aforementioned Stepwise guide on Income Tax Registration Process, login to your account to simply file your online income tax return at an ease.
FAQs
Q1: Should my PAN be registered on the e-Filing Portal?
Your PAN should be registered in the e-Filing portal. In case, your PAN is not registered, the further message will be displayed on your screen, “PAN does not exist, please register this PAN or try with some other PAN”.
Q2: Do I need to link my Aadhaar with PAN to login to the e-filing portal?
You can login to the e-filing portal if your PAN is not linked to Aadhaar Card. However, in this case, you will have limited access. Therefore, it is better to link your PAN with Aadhaar Card.
Q3: What documents are needed for ITR Registration online?
While undergoing the ITR Registration process online as a taxpayer, no documents are needed. However, only prerequisites are valid Mobile Number, Email ID, and valid & active PAN are the only prerequisites.
Q4: Can a non-resident without an Indian mobile number register on e-Filing Portal?
A non-resident can provide his/her foreign mobile number while ITR registration online. In such cases, all details will be sent/communicated to the given Email ID; not on Foreign mobile number provided. All OTPs for verifications will be sent only on the Email ID provided.
Q5: Do I need my registered Mobile Number to login to the e-Filing Portal?
There are numerous ways to login to the e-Filing Portal and file ITR online. It is not obligatory to have a registered mobile number. However in certain cases like if you forget your password, a registered mobile number will be required.