ITR Deadline Today: File On July 31, Verify Later; Check How The 30-Day Window Works

This is very important because an unverified return has no legal standing with the tax department. Until verification is completed, the department will consider the filing as though it never happened, which means processing, refunds and any follow-up action stay on hold.

How To E-Verify Your ITR

Verification is done through the e-filing portal itself. Here are the steps to do it:

Step 1: After logging in with the registered user ID and password, taxpayers need to head to the e-file menu,
Step 2: Select Income Tax Returns, and then choose e-Verify Return
From there, selecting the relevant unverified return and clicking e-Verify brings up the available verification modes, and the process is completed by following the on-screen steps for whichever mode is chosen.

There are several ways to complete this step, and taxpayers can pick whichever is most convenient. The most commonly used method is an OTP sent to the mobile number linked with Aadhaar.

Other alternatives are generating an Electronic Verification Code through a pre-validated bank account, through a pre-validated demat account, or via net banking login.

An EVC can also be generated offline through an ATM, and taxpayers who hold one can use a Digital Signature Certificate instead.

The 30-day rule is meant to account for genuine hiccups on filing day, such as OTP delivery failures, portal load during peak hours, or last-minute technical snags, rather than to give taxpayers extra time to file. The return itself must still be uploaded by July 31 for those not covered by the extended August 31 deadline for ITR-3 and ITR-4 filers. What the rule affects is only the verification step that follows.

Taxpayers should also be aware that this cushion has narrowed over the years. The verification window used to run to 120 days after filing, before the Central Board of Direct Taxes reduced it to 30 days for returns filed on or after August 1, 2022, precisely to cut down on delayed or forgotten verifications clogging up processing timelines.