Income tax returns (ITR) filing: Filing income tax returns and tracking it later use to be a tough task. But thanks to e-filing and the government’s push for Digital India, it’s all much easier now. Thanks to the online mode of filing returns, it is possible to track it easily and know if your returns are successfully filed or not.

Income tax returns (ITR) filing: Your return is not considered valid unless it is verified and accepted by the I-T department. Filing income tax returns and tracking it later use to be a tough task. But thanks to e-filing and the government’s push for Digital India, it’s all much easier now. Thanks to the online mode of filing returns, it is possible to track it easily and know if your returns are successfully filed or not.

So how does it work? After an income tax assesse files his/her return, the tax department starts assessing the return. After verification, the status of your ITR would be either successfully verified or successfully e-verified. The status changes to ITR processed on the completion of processing whereby the department sends you a notice stating whether your return has been accepted or there is a discrepancy between your tax calculation and the department’s calculation.

In case of a discrepancy, the Income Tax department sends you a notice for additional tax. If your filing is accepted and there is a refund, you get a notice stating the same, and the amount is deposited into your linked account.

Then comes the, ITR-V or income tax return verification, which is an acknowledgement slip generated when you file your income tax return through online mode. In order to fully complete the process you have to sign and send the ITR –V to Income Tax Central Processing Centre (CPC). The address of CPC is given at the end of this article.

These are 2 easy ways to check your income tax return status:

Online Method

Without using login credentials

Log in to the e-filing website of the income tax department
You will find an option to check your ITR status. If you click on the given option you will be redirected to a new page wherein you have to fill in the required details relating to PAN, ITR acknowledgment number and the captcha code given on the page
After filing these required fields click on the submit button and the status of your ITR return will be displayed – either submitted, verified, return processed or refund paid
Using your login credentials

Log in to the e-filing website of the income tax department and go to my account
You will see an option view Return/Forms in the left top corner on the dashboard
Enter your PAN number at the given place and select income tax returns and the relevant assessment year from the drop down menu
Click on submit and you will get to know whether your ITR has been processed or has only been verified till that time
Offline Method

If not comfortable with the digital form filing, then avail the non-electronic ITR verification method. For this you will have to send a signed copy of ITR-V to CPC Bangalore via speed post. There is a time limit to sending this document. You must send the document within 4 months (120 days) of filing the income tax returns. The address for sending this post is given below:

Income Tax Department - CPC,
Post Box Number 1,
Electronic City Post Office,
Bangalore -560500, Karnataka

If the Income Tax Department deems dispatching and verification of the ITR as failure, default the ITR will not be processed.