The last date to file your income tax return (ITR) is today, March 31, as FY2020-21 draws to a close. Today also marks the last date to link your Permanent Account Number (PAN) to Aadhaar. Last week, the government passed the Finance Bill 2021 in the parliament, introducing a new section — 234H. Under this, a person will be liable to pay a fine of Rs. 1,000 for not linking PAN and Aadhaar. Also, if the two identification numbers are not linked, the PAN will become inoperative. There are some simple steps you can follow to file your ITR online, as well as link your PAN with your Aadhaar number.
For filing ITR, first you need to figure out which ITR form to file. There are four types:
- ITR-1: This is meant for salaried people with income under Rs. 50 lakhs per year. Here you’re allowed to declare income from a house property, agricultural income up to Rs. 5,000, and income from other sources.
- ITR-2: ITR-2 applies only to those with income above Rs. 50 lakhs. If you have any capital gains to declare (such as income from mutual funds), then you need to file ITR-2. There are some other types of incomes such as foreign income, multiple house properties, and more, that are encompassed under this one.
- ITR-3: In addition to income types mentioned under ITR-2, if you have income from business or profession then you need to file ITR-3.
- ITR-4: If all of your income sources are listed under ITR-1 but your total income is above Rs. 50 lakhs per year, then you need to file ITR-4. Once you’ve figured this out, follow these steps below to file your ITR online.
Once you’ve figured this out, follow these steps below to file your ITR online.
How to file ITR online:
If you are a new user, you will need to register yourself first. To do so, click on Register Yourself from the New to e-Filing? section on the top left corner of the homepage.
If you are a registered user, click on Login Here from the Registered User? section right below the Register Yourself button. Your PAN will be your user ID.
Once done, click on e-File menu and then click on Income Tax Return.
This should direct you to a new page where you will find your PAN details automatically populated. From the form, select Assessment Year and then ITR Form Number (refer to ITR form types from above). Select Filing Type as Original/Revised Return.
Select Prepare and Submit Online from under Submission Mode.
Now, read all the instructions shown carefully, and fill in all the mandatory fields of the ITR form.
When done, from under the Taxes Paid and Verification tab, select I would like to e-Verify. There will be other options such as I would like to e-Verify later within 120 days from date of filing, however, selecting the first e-Verify option could be the simplest way out.
To review all the entries made, click on Preview and Submit button. Otherwise, simply click on Submit.
Now, you’ll see a pop-up that will ask you how you would like to e-Verify your ITR. You can either select Aadhaar OTP or Net Banking. Click on Continue.
When done, click on Submit.
If the process is successful, you will get this confirmation message: “Your Return has been successfully uploaded.”
How to link Aadhaar and PAN online
Linking your Aadhaar and PAN is pretty easy. Follow these simple steps:
- Visit the Income Tax Department portal — www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in.
- Click on Link Aadhaar from the Quick Links section from the left side of the homepage.
- This will open an online form where you will need to enter your PAN, Aadhaar Number, Name as per Aadhaar. You’ll also see an option to select whether you only have your year of birth in Aadhaar card.
- Once done, select the checkbox to provide your consent on validating your Aadhaar details with UIDAI.
- Enter the CAPTCHA code.
- Click on Link Aadhaar button.
Once done, you can also check the status by going to the Income Tax Department homepage and clicking on Link Aadhaar again. Then, right above the form that appears, you need to click on the Click here link. This will open a new form where you need to enter your PAN and Aadhaar number. When done, simply click on View Link Aadhaar Status. If all goes well, you should be able to see a message showing that the two cards are linked.
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