How to e-file your Income Tax Return (ITR) online

According to section 139 (1) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 of India any person whose total income during the Financial Year is more than the maximum amount not chargeable to tax, should file their income tax returns (ITR).

Here are the steps to e-file your Income Tax Return (ITR) online

• Register Yourself

In order to e-file your income tax return (ITR), you first have to register on the Income Tax Department’s official site - incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in. You will also be required to provide your name, date of birth and PAN number, and set a password yourself.

• Opt how you want to e-file

You can choose from two ways of e-filing your income tax return.
a) Go to the download option and select the required form
b) Download the form and keep it on your desktop
c) Fill all the details offline and upload it on the site or fill the form online by clicking on the quick e-file option.

• Select the required form
ITR-1 - For people earning a salary, pension, income from property or other sources except for lottery
ITR-2 - For those earning capital gains. This form is for those having more than one house but no capital gains.
ITR 3, 4 and 4S: Professionals and business owners.

Requisites
PAN, interest statements, Form 16, TDS certificates, details of investments, insurance and home loans.

• Fill form and upload

If you fill the form offline after you have downloaded the form and filled in all the details, select the 'Generate XML' option. After this go to the website again and click on 'upload XML' option. You will have to first log in to upload the XML file saved on desktop and click on submit. 

• Verify ITR V
 
After submitting your ITR form, you will get an auto-generated acknowledgement number. In case, the form is submitted using digital signature then you should save this number. If it is submitted without the signature, an ITR-V is generated and is sent to your registered email ID.

The tax filing process will be considered incomplete and the income tax return remains invalid unless your ITR V is verified.