ITR filing 2019-20: These platforms will help you to file your income tax returns for free
There are also some private entities that enable e-filing through their websites and are registered with the I-T department
Filing income tax returns (ITR) is mandatory for every individual earning a particular amount every year. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has extended the last date for filing ITR for FY20 (AY2020-21) to November 30.
The Income Tax Department has established an independent portal for e-filing of income tax returns, which is entirely free.
There are also some private entities that enable e-filing through their websites and are registered with the I-T department.
There are several websites that claim to be free. One such platform -- ClearTax -- allows taxpayers to file ITR directly without logging into the I-T department's website. It automatically detects the ITR one needs to file on the basis of one's income sources.
Here are the steps to file an ITR on ClearTax:
- Upload Form 16
- ClearTax automatically prepares the ITR
- Verifies the tax summary
- e-file tax return to receive acknowledgement number
- e-verify tax return through net-banking
myIT return, which also claims to be free, is also an authorised e-return intermediary registered with the I-T department. One needs to answer basic questions on the website while filing one's ITR returns. These questions relate to salary, home and investments. Based on the answers, the system computes the figures for the income tax return.
Other websites like Eztax and Quicko also claim to be 100 percent free.
According to I-T department's website, here are the steps to file ITR:
- Visit income-tax e-filing portal -- incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in
- Download appropriate ITR utility under Downloads > IT Return Preparation Software
- Extract the downloaded utility ZIP file and open the utility from the extracted folder
- Fill the applicable and mandatory fields in the ITR form
- Validate all the tabs of the ITR form and calculate tax
- Generate and save the XML
- Now, login to e-filing portal by entering user ID (PAN), password, captcha code and click login
- Click on the e-file menu and click Income Tax Return link
- On ITR page, PAN will be auto-populated. Select assessment year
- Now, select ITR form number, filing type as original/revised return
- Select submission mode as Upload XML- To e-verify returns, select one of these modes -- registered mobile number, net banking, demat account number, bank ATM, bank account number, Aadhaar OTP and e-mail id.
