Taxpayers can file their returns online through Income Tax e-filing website. The portal for e-filing allows taxpayers to file their income tax returns online hassle-free.

In an effort to offer some relief to taxpayers amid the pandemic, the Central Board of Direct Taxes recently extended Income Tax Return filing deadline for Financial Year 19. People who have not filed their ITR for fiscal 2018-19 can now do it online till September 2020.

Note that earlier, the government had already extended the deadline to file a belated income tax return (ITR) for FY 2018-19 at two prior occasions. First, from the original deadline of March 31, 2020, to June 30 and then to July 31, 2020. Taxpayers can file their returns online through Income Tax e-filing website. 

The portal for e-filing allows taxpayers to file their income tax returns online hassle-free. Under the current income tax laws, several forms are available for different types of assessees to file their income tax return for the financial year 2018-19 namely ITR 1, ITR 2, ITR 3, ITR 4, ITR 5, ITR 6 and ITR 7. The belated return can be filed with certain penalty charges.

Steps to file ITR for FY18-19 online:

1. Go to income-tax e-filing portal -- incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in
2. Download appropriate ITR utility under Downloads > IT Return Preparation Software.
3. Extract the downloaded utility ZIP file and open the utility from the extracted folder.
4. Fill the applicable and mandatory fields of the ITR form.
5. Validate all the tabs of the ITR form and calculate tax.
6. Generate and save the XML.
7. Login to e-filing portal by entering user ID (PAN), password, captcha code and click login.
8. Click on the e-file menu and click Income Tax Return link.
9. On ITR page, PAN will be auto-populated. Select the assessment year.
10. Select ITR form Number, Filing Type as original/revised Return.
11. Select Submission Mode as Upload XML.
12. To e-verify returns, select one of these modes -- registered mobile number, net banking, demat account number, bank ATM, bank account number, Aadhaar OTP and e-mail id.

It is worth mentioning that the government is likely to introduce pre-filled Income-Tax Return (ITR) forms for taxpayers with data on their capital gains from mutual funds, shares, dividend income and interest received from banks. Worth mentioning here is that the government has already introduced amendments to the Income Tax Act through the Finance Bill, which will allow the govt to seek data on annual financial transactions of a taxpayer from banks, brokers, depositories.