Filed tax return at the last hour? One more step will complete process

Return has to be verified within 30 days to be considered valid by the tax department, How To E-Verify Your Income Tax Return

People who filed their Income Tax return (ITR) on Tuesday, the last day for the work, have to complete one more task: Verifying the return within 30 days.

 

“If you miss this step, the Income Tax Department doesn’t treat your return as filed at all,” said Niyati Shah, chartered accountant and vertical head of personal tax at 1 Finance.

 

If you verify ITR after 30 days, the department will treat it as belated. “This triggers all late-filing consequences: Interest, penalties, and loss of carry-forward of losses,” said Mrinal Mehta, chartered accountant and joint secretary, Bombay Chartered Accountants’ Society.

 

E-verification matters

Verification is the official acknowledgement of ITR. Without it, even a perfectly accurate ITR becomes void, exposing you to:

 

• Penalties under Section 234F 
• Loss of interest on refunds

• Ineligibility to carry forward losses from equity trades or business

 

“In one case, a salaried filer who forgot to verify lost the ability to carry forward capital losses,” said Shah.

 

Another taxpayer paid Rs 5,000 as penalty and was put in a less favourable tax regime for delaying verification, noted Shefali Mundra, of ClearTax.

 

How to E-verification process

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) offers several options, with Aadhaar OTP being the most convenient, How To E-Verify Your Income Tax Return, Step here:

 

• Aadhaar OTP (instant and widely used) 
• Net banking login 
• Bank or demat account EVC 
• Digital Signature Certificate (for firms/audited entities) 
• Bank ATM 
• Posting signed ITR-V to CPC, Bengaluru (physical option)

 

“For most individuals, Aadhaar OTP is the fastest and easiest way to e-verify,” Shah said.

 

Tax experts said compliance rules are strict and people must complete e-verification immediately after filing returns. “It’s not a procedural formality, it’s a statutory safeguard,” Shah warned. “Missing it could cost you far more than just time.”