You hit submit on your ITR, see the confirmation screen, and close the tab. Feels done. For a lot of people, that’s exactly where the trouble starts, because filing is only half the job. Until you complete one more step within a strict window, the Income Tax Department treats your return as if it was never filed at all.
That step is e-verification, and it quietly trips up more people than you’d think, especially anyone who filed close to the deadline and forgot to circle back. Miss the window, and you’re not just late, you’re starting over, sometimes with a penalty attached.
Once that’s done, a different wait begins. Your return moves through a sequence of statuses on the portal, from being picked up for processing to a refund landing in your account, or a notice asking you to pay more. Knowing what each one means saves you from refreshing the portal daily, and tells you when it’s actually time to act. And if you’re reading this wondering whether you’ve already missed your chance to file altogether, you haven’t, but what you file now won’t look quite the same as what you’d have filed on time.
We’ve handpicked threads on these topics in today’s edition.
Is filing your ITR enough, or is there one more step?
Filing and e-verifying your return are two separate actions, and the Income Tax Department only counts the second one as complete. Skip it, and your return isn’t just delayed, it’s treated as if you never filed at all. There are six ways to complete this step, from Aadhaar OTP to net banking, and one of them takes under a…Continue Reading
What do the different ITR status updates on the income tax portal actually mean?
Once your return clears e-verification, it enters a queue with its own vocabulary: under processing, refund determined, defective return, demand due. Some of these just mean wait a few more days. Others come with a countdown of their own, and missing it can undo the…Continue Reading
What happens if you miss the ITR filing deadline this year?
You can still file, up until 31st December of the assessment year, but a belated return under Section 139(4) comes with strings attached. Interest starts accruing from the day after your original due date, a late fee kicks in depending on your income slab, and there’s a regime restriction that catches a lot of people off guard. You also lose the ability to…Continue Reading
FAQs
What’s the actual deadline to e-verify my return, and what happens if I’ve filed a revised return since?
You have 30 days from the date of filing to e-verify. If you’ve since filed a revised return, only the latest version needs to be e-verified, any earlier version that wasn’t verified is simply treated as invalid.
My return shows “Defective Return” status. How long do I have to fix it?
15 days from when the notice is issued. If you don’t correct and resubmit the return within that window, it’s treated as invalid.
If I file a belated return, can I still adjust my capital losses against future gains?
No. Losses from a belated return can’t be carried forward to future years, though you can still offset them against gains within the same year you file.
Does the late fee under Section 234F apply to everyone who misses the deadline?
No, it depends on your income. There’s no late fee at all if your total income is below ₹3 lakh, ₹1,000 for income between ₹3-5 lakh, and ₹5,000 above ₹5 lakh, on top of the 1% monthly interest charged separately under Section 234A.