ITR Filing AY 2024-25: Income Tax Portal Services Unavailable? Taxpayers Unhappy As July 31 Deadline Nea

The latest due date for filing an income tax returns (ITRs) for the assessment year 2024-25 is nearing on July 31, 2024, and taxpayers are finding it difficult to file their ITRs. Why? Many taxpayers have taken to Elon Musk's X which was formerly known as Twitter, to complain about glitches that they are facing on income tax e-portal. The new e-portal for filing tax returns was supposedly meant to be flexible and seamless, however, that is not the case currently.

Both taxpayers and chartered accountants are strangled with delays in filing ITR due to services not being available on e-portal.

A user, CA Sumit Garg said via his X handler in the late hours of July 10th that the "entire day income tax portal was not working. How to file ITR timely? We are wasting our effective time. Pls do something" The request was to the PMO and Finance Ministry over the issue.

While many users pointed out similar issues. One X user uploaded the Income Tax department's reply which was also on July 10.

IT department through its X said to a user-facing glitches in filing ITR, "As informed by our technical team, due to intermittent issues, services are currently unavailable. The technical team is working on it and services will be restored soon." This was during the late afternoon of July 10, and despite that taxpayers continued to face the problem.

As per guidelines, the pre-filling and filing of ITR-1 service is available to registered users on the e-filing portal. This service enables individual taxpayers to file ITR-1 either online through the e-Filing portal or by accessing the offline Excel and HTML utility.

Here's how to file ITR through online mode:

Step 1: Log in to the e-filing portal using your user ID and password.

Step 2: On your Dashboard, click e-File > Income Tax Returns > File Income Tax Return.

Notably, if your PAN is inoperative you will get a warning message that your PAN is inoperative as it's not linked with the Aadhaar. Also, You can click on the Link Now button to link PAN with the Aadhaar otherwise click Continue.

Step 3: Select Assessment Year as 2024-25 and Mode of filling as Online, then click Continue

Step 4: In case you have already filled the Income Tax Return and it is pending submission, click Resume Filing. In case you wish to discard the saved return and start preparing the return afresh, click Start New Filing.

Step 5: Select Status as applicable to you and click Continue to proceed further.

Step 6: You have two options to select the type of Income Tax Return:

- If you know which ITR to file, select the ITR form; else

- If you are not sure which ITR to file, you may select Help me decide which ITR Form to file and click Proceed. Here the system helps you determine the correct ITR, then you can proceed with filing your ITR

Further, it needs to be noted that in case you are not aware which ITR or schedules are applicable to you or income and deductions details, your answers in response to a set of questions will guide you in determining the same and help you in correct / error-free filing of ITR.

Also, in case you are aware of the ITR or schedules applicable to you or income and deduction details, you can skip the questions.

Step 7: Once you have selected the ITR applicable to you, note the list of documents needed and click Let's Get Started.

Step 8: Select the checkbox applicable to you regarding the reason for filing ITR and click Continue.

Step 9: For AY 2024-25 New Tax Regime is the default Tax Regime. Option "No" will be Auto Selected. If you want to opt out of New Tax Regime Select "Yes" in the Personal Information Section.

Then, review your pre-filled data and edit it if necessary. Enter the remaining/additional data (if required). Click Confirm at the end of each section.

Before selecting the tax regime, it needs to be noted that certain deductions and exemptions are not available in the new tax regime.

Step 10: Enter/ Edit your income and total deductions details in the different sections. After completing and confirming all the sections of the form, click Proceed.

There are two sub-sections in step 10 as well:

Step 10A: In case there is a tax liability

After clicking on total tax liability, you will be shown a summary of your tax computation based on the details provided by you. If there is tax liability payable based on the computation, you will get the Pay Now and Pay Later options at the bottom of the page.

Step 10B: In case there is no tax liability (No Demand / No Refund) or if you are eligible for a Refund

Click Preview Return. If there is no tax liability payable, or if there is a refund based on tax computation, you will be taken to the Preview and Submit Your Return page.

Step 11: If you click on Pay Now, you will be redirected to the e-pay Tax service. Click Continue.

Step 12: After successful payment through the e-Filing portal, a success message is displayed. Click Back to Return Filing to complete the filing of ITR.

Step 13: Click Preview Return.

Step 14: On the Preview and Submit Your Return page, select the declaration checkbox and click Proceed to Preview.

Step 15: Preview your return and click Proceed to Validation.

Step 16: Once validated, on your Preview and Submit your Return page, click Proceed to Verification.

Step 17: On the Complete your Verification page, select your preferred option and click Continue. It is mandatory to verify your return, and e-Verification (recommended option - e-Verify Now) is the easiest way to verify your ITR - it is quick, paperless, and safer than sending a signed physical ITR-V to CPC by speed post.

Step 18: On the e-Verify page, select the option through which you want to e-Verify the return and click Continue.

Once you e-verify your return, a success message is displayed along with the Transaction ID and Acknowledgement Number. You will also receive a confirmation message on your mobile number and email ID registered on the e-filing portal.