If you think the income tax returns ((ITR) process ends with the filing and submission of ITR, then you need to be aware of the final step for successful completion of the process. The tax filing is incomplete without verifying the ITR within 120 days of submitting it because in absence of that the ITR is considered invalid.

Here are six ways to verify an ITR, of which five are done electronically and the last one is done offline.

Net banking: To do this you need to visit the e-filing portal and e-verify. Under the net banking option, select the bank where you have active net banking and from there you will get redirected to the net banking page of the bank. After logging in, select the e-verify option to complete the process.

Aadhaar-based OTP: One can opt for this method in two conditions. Firstly, your PAN should be linked to your Aadhaar, and the second is that the Aadhaar number must be linked to an active mobile number. Only if you meet these two conditions, you can select the ‘verify using OTP on mobile’ option available on the e-verify page.

Bank account: Remember that Electronic Verification Code (EVC) can be generated through the bank account which is pre-validated on the e-filing portal. It means that your bank account needs to be pre-validated if you are expecting to get an IT refund. At the time of selection of the bank account option for e-verification, EVC is sent on your mobile number registered with the pre-validated bank account.

Demat account: It is worth noting that this option is available only to those taxpayers who have a Demat account that is pre-validated and EVC-enabled on the e-filing portal. These can be prior to filing ITR returns. If you select this option, EVC is sent on the mobile number and email ID linked to your Demat account.

Bank ATM: Remember that only allow e-verification using ATM cards—Kotak Mahindra Bank, Central Bank of India, Canara Bank, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, IDBI Bank, and Axis Bank. Those who have an account with any of these banks with your PAN linked to it can visit an ATM and generate EVC using the ATM card. After receiving the number, go to the e-verify page and select ‘I already have an EVC’ option to complete verification.

Speed Post acknowledgment receipt: Also, remember that the only physical way to verify returns is by posting a self-attested copy of the ITR acknowledgment receipt to the Centralised Processing Centre (CPC) office in Bengaluru.

In order to download the ITR-V receipt, you need to visit the ‘view returns/forms’ option on the e-filing portal and then click on the acknowledgment number for the current assessment year. After this step downloads the ITR-V document which will help you access it by entering your PAN and date of birth as password.