Income Tax efiling Online in 6 Simple Steps for Free

Income Tax efiling can be done online through the Income Tax Website without any cost in 2 different ways:-

1. Income Tax efiling by downloading the ITR Java utility and furnishing details in the excel utility offline and then uploading it on Income Tax Website
2. Income Tax efiling without downloading the Java Utility and furnishing all details online itself.

Procedure for Income Tax efiling using ITR Java Utility

The Income Tax Department releases an updated income tax software for free every year for income tax efiling online. Till last year, this software was in the form of an Excel Utility but from this year onwards the software would be a Java Utility. Several new features have also been updated in the Java Utility which earlier were not there in the Excel Utility.

The following Article are the steps involved for Income Tax efiling by downloading the Java Utility

1. Logon to https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in and select the Income Tax Return Form for your type of Income. There are various different Income Tax Return forms for different class of assessees. Recommended Read: Which Income Tax Form should you use?
2. Download the ITR Java Utility which pertains to your Income Tax Form and furnish all details in the ITR Java Utility and also cross check the same with the figures as mentioned in your Form 16/ Form 16A/ Form 16B and Form 26AS.
3. After furnishing all details in the ITR Utility and validating the same, you can directly upload your Income Tax Return through the Java utility by logging in your account on the income tax website through the Java Utility itself. Alternatively, you may create a xml file of the Income Tax Return and then upload this file on the income tax website. (If you’ve forgotten your income tax efiling password, refer this article on How to recover income tax efiling password).
4. On successful upload of your income tax return, an Acknowledgement Details would be displayed. An ITR-V would also be automatically generated and sent to your registered email id.
5. In case while efiling income tax return you used your Digitally Signatures to digitally sign the Income Tax Return Form, the whole process gets completed on generation of “Acknowledgement”.
6. However, in case while efiling income tax return , you didnt use Digital Signatures, on successful uploading of e-Return, the ITR-V Form would be generated and sent to your registered email id. This ITR-V Acknowledgement form should be signed by the Tax Payer and sent to the Income Tax Office.

Procedure for Income Tax efiling without downloading the Excel Utility

Income Tax efiling can also be done without downloading the Income Tax Software and simply by furnishing all the details online. For efiling Income Tax Return without downloading the Java Utility, a person would be required to login to his account on https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in and then go to “e-File – Income Tax Return – Prepare and Submit Online”

If the Income Tax Returns have not been Digitally Signed, the taxpayer would be required to take a print out of the ITR-V Acknowledgement Form, sign it and send it to the Income Tax Department

The Address for sending duly signed ITR-V form is “Income Tax Department – CPC, Post Bag No – 1, Electronic City Post Office, Bengaluru – 560100, Karnataka,” by ordinary post or speed post only, within 120 days of transmitting the data electronically. In case, Form ITR-V, is furnished after the end of 120 days from the date of filing of Income Tax Return, it will be deemed that the return in respect of which the Form ITR-V has been filed was never furnished and it shall be incumbent on the Tax Payer to electronically re-transmit the data and follow it up by submitting the new Form ITR-V within 120 days. This completes the income tax efiling process for non-digitally signed Returns.