Income Tax Department Online — Portals, Login & Services

Income Tax Department Online —
Portals, Login & Services

Every official Income Tax Department online portal in one place — incometax.gov.in for ITR filing and e-Pay Tax, TRACES for TDS certificates, and NSDL/UTIITSL for PAN — with login methods, key services and helpline numbers.

TaxClue Editorial Desk Updated 18 August 2026 5 min read 16 FAQs answered

Updated for AY 2026-27 Official portals only CA-reviewed

Quick Answer

The Income Tax Department's main online portal is incometax.gov.in (the e-Filing 2.0 portal) — used to file ITR, pay tax via e-Pay Tax, and view your AIS/TIS and Form 26AS. TDS certificates (Form 16/16A) come from TRACES (tdscpc.gov.in), and PAN services from NSDL (Protean) and UTIITSL. Each portal needs its own login.

ITR filing incometax.gov.in

TDS / Form 16 TRACES

PAN services NSDL · UTIITSL

e-Verify within 30 days

At a glance

All Income Tax & Compliance Portals

Every official portal a taxpayer or business touches, with the login method and what each one is actually for.

Service	Portal	Login	Key features
Income Tax e-Filing	incometax.gov.in	PAN + password; Aadhaar OTP; net-banking EVC	ITR filing, e-Pay Tax, AIS/TIS, Form 26AS, refund status, notices, e-Verify, 15CA/CB
TRACES — TDS	tdscpc.gov.in	TAN (deductors); PAN (deductees)	Form 16 / 16A / 16B, TDS return status, 26QB/26QC, Form 26AS, TDS refund
NSDL / Protean (TIN)	tin.tin.nsdl.com	PAN for verify; OTP for edits	New PAN, PAN correction, TAN, challan payment, TDS/TCS returns (OLTAS)
UTIITSL — PAN	utiitsl.com	Aadhaar OTP / physical form	New PAN, reprint, corrections, PAN-Aadhaar link status, instant e-PAN
GST Portal	gst.gov.in	GSTIN + password; Aadhaar OTP	GST registration, GSTR-1/3B/9, e-invoicing, e-Way Bill, PMT-06 payment, refund
MCA21	mca.gov.in	MCA login; DSC for filings	Company/LLP incorporation, AOC-4, MGT-7, DIN, DIR-3 KYC, charge registration
EPFO — PF	epfindia.gov.in	UAN + password; employer login	PF passbook, withdrawal, transfer, claim status, UAN activation, ECR

URLs and features verified against incometax.gov.in as of August 2026. Always start from the official domain — never a lookalike link.

One portal does most of the work

For an individual taxpayer, incometax.gov.in alone covers ITR filing, tax payment, refund tracking, AIS/Form 26AS and responding to notices. You mainly step out to TRACES (via your employer) for Form 16 and to NSDL/UTIITSL only when applying for or correcting a PAN.

The main portal

incometax.gov.in — What You Can Do

The e-Filing 2.0 portal is the single window for almost every individual income-tax task. Log in with your PAN (as user ID) and password, or via Aadhaar OTP / net-banking EVC.

Log inPAN + password / Aadhaar OTP

→

File ITRPre-filled ITR-1 to ITR-7

→

e-Pay TaxAdvance / self-assessment tax

→

e-VerifyWithin 30 days of filing

File ITR (ITR-1 to ITR-7) — pre-filled from AIS, Form 26AS and employer-uploaded Form 16; online or JSON offline utility. See our ITR filing guide.
AIS & TIS — Login → Services → Annual Information Statement; report any wrong entry via feedback. Full walk-through on our AIS page.
Form 26AS — Login → e-File → Income Tax Returns → View Form 26AS; also on TRACES. See the Form 26AS guide.
Refund status — Login → Services → Know Your Refund Status; track your income tax refund.
Notices & demands — Login → Pending Actions → e-Proceedings / Response to Outstanding Demand. Understand an income tax notice.

e-Verify within 30 days or your return is invalid

Filing an ITR is not complete until it is e-verified. You have 30 days from the date of filing to e-verify (Aadhaar OTP, net banking, bank/Demat EVC) or send a signed ITR-V to CPC Bengaluru. Miss it and the return is treated as never filed.

Want your ITR filed, verified and refund tracked end-to-end?

File with TaxClue →

TDS portal

TRACES (tdscpc.gov.in) — TDS & Form 26AS

TRACES (TDS Reconciliation Analysis and Correction Enabling System) is where TDS certificates and returns live. Deductors log in with their TAN; employees/deductees can register with their PAN.

Function	Who uses it	Form / service
Download salary TDS certificate	Employees (deductees)	Form 16 (Part A + B)
Download non-salary TDS certificate	Vendors, consultants, freelancers	Form 16A
TDS on property purchase	Buyer deducts, seller downloads	Form 16B · TDS on property
File quarterly TDS return	Deductors (TAN holders)	24Q, 26Q, 27Q, 27EQ · TDS return filing
View Form 26AS	All taxpayers (PAN)	Annual Tax Statement (also on incometax.gov.in)

Form 16/16A must be downloaded from TRACES by the deductor — a self-typed certificate is not valid.

Deducting TDS on salaries, rent or property? Get your returns filed correctly.

Get TDS Help →

Pay tax online

e-Pay Tax — Challans & Payment

Tax is now paid through incometax.gov.in → e-File → e-Pay Tax (the e-Filing portal has replaced the old OLTAS challan flow for most direct taxes). Pick the correct challan for what you owe.

Challan	Purpose	Payment method
Challan 280	Income tax — advance tax, self-assessment, regular assessment	Net banking, debit card, RTGS/NEFT, UPI
Challan 281	TDS / TCS deposit by deductors	Net banking, RTGS/NEFT
Challan 282	Other direct taxes (STT, CTT, equalisation levy)	Net banking

Check your payment reflects in AIS / Form 26AS

After paying, confirm the challan appears in AIS and Form 26AS within 3-5 working days. If it does not, note the CIN (Challan Identification Number) from your bank and raise a grievance on the portal or contact the NSDL/Protean helpline for reconciliation.

Official helpline numbers

Portal	Helpline	Domain
Income Tax e-Filing	1800-103-0025 · 080-46122000	incometax.gov.in
TRACES (TDS)	1800-103-0344	tdscpc.gov.in
NSDL / Protean (PAN/TAN)	020-27218080	tin.tin.nsdl.com
GST helpdesk	1800-103-4786	gst.gov.in
EPFO	1800-118-005	epfindia.gov.in

Most helplines operate Mon-Sat. Escalate unresolved issues via the portal grievance section or CPGRAMS (pgportal.gov.in).

FY 2025-26 context (AY 2026-27)

For the current year the new tax regime is the default, with nil tax up to ₹12 lakh taxable income after the Section 87A rebate (about ₹12.75 lakh for salaried, after the ₹75,000 standard deduction). Compare regimes with our old vs new regime calculator before you file.

Government sourcese-Filing portal: incometax.gov.in · TDS / Form 26AS: tdscpc.gov.in · PAN services: tin.tin.nsdl.com · utiitsl.com · Grievances: CPGRAMS — pgportal.gov.in

Income Tax Portal — Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

What is the official Income Tax Department website?

The official Income Tax Department e-Filing portal is incometax.gov.in (the e-Filing 2.0 portal). It is used to file income tax returns, pay tax through e-Pay Tax, view AIS/TIS and Form 26AS, track refunds and respond to notices. Related official portals are TRACES (tdscpc.gov.in) for TDS certificates and NSDL/Protean and UTIITSL for PAN services. Always type the domain yourself and avoid lookalike links.

How do I log in to the income tax portal?

Go to incometax.gov.in and click Login. Your user ID is your PAN. You can then enter your password, or log in using Aadhaar OTP (if your PAN is linked to Aadhaar) or a net-banking EVC. First-time users must register with their PAN, date of birth and a valid mobile/email for OTP verification.

Do I need separate logins for each tax portal?

Yes. incometax.gov.in uses a PAN-based login; TRACES uses a separate TAN (deductors) or PAN (deductees) login; gst.gov.in uses a GSTIN login; MCA21 uses an MCA account. There is no single sign-on across all government tax portals yet, though some data is shared — for example, Form 26AS/AIS data flows between the Income Tax portal and TRACES.

The income tax portal (incometax.gov.in) is not loading — what should I do?

Clear your browser cache and cookies and reload, then try a different browser (Chrome or Edge work best). Check whether the portal is under scheduled maintenance — CBDT posts advance notices on the homepage. Disable any VPN or proxy, and try incognito mode to rule out extension conflicts. If it still fails, call the Income Tax helpdesk at 1800-103-0025 or 080-46122000. Outages are common near deadlines (usually 31 July, 31 October and 31 December).

My PAN is not linked to my current mobile number — how do I update it?

Log in to incometax.gov.in and go to My Profile → Contact Details to update your mobile number; an OTP is sent to your registered mobile for authentication. If you have lost access to the old number, use Aadhaar-based OTP where your PAN is Aadhaar-linked, or visit your Assessing Officer or an Aayakar Seva Kendra with your PAN, Aadhaar and a written request. TRACES and the GST portal have separate mobile-update processes.

My PAN shows a different name on TRACES vs the income tax portal — is that a problem?

Yes — a PAN name mismatch across incometax.gov.in, TRACES and the PAN database can cause TDS credit mismatch in Form 26AS and AIS. The master PAN database is maintained by NSDL/Protean (older PANs) and UTIITSL (later PANs). Apply for a PAN correction on the NSDL or UTIITSL portal with a signed correction form and Aadhaar/passport proof; after correction the portals usually sync within 7-15 days.

ITR Filing

How do I file my income tax return online?

Log in to incometax.gov.in, go to e-File → Income Tax Returns → File Income Tax Return, select the assessment year (AY 2026-27 for FY 2025-26) and the correct ITR form (ITR-1 to ITR-7). Much of the return is pre-filled from AIS, Form 26AS and Form 16. Review it, add any missing income and deductions, submit, and e-verify within 30 days. TaxClue can prepare and file the whole return for you.

How do I e-verify my income tax return?

After submitting the ITR, e-verify it within 30 days using Aadhaar OTP, net banking, a bank-account or Demat EVC, or by sending a signed physical ITR-V to CPC Bengaluru. Aadhaar OTP is the quickest. Until the return is verified it is not treated as filed, so verification is essential.

What is the difference between AIS, TIS and Form 26AS?

Form 26AS is the annual tax statement showing TDS/TCS, advance tax and self-assessment tax paid against your PAN. AIS (Annual Information Statement) is broader — it also reports salary, interest, dividends, mutual-fund and securities transactions, property deals and more. TIS (Taxpayer Information Summary) is a simplified, category-wise summary of the AIS used for pre-filling your return. All three are on incometax.gov.in.

Payments & Refunds

How do I pay income tax online?

Use incometax.gov.in → e-File → e-Pay Tax. Choose the assessment year and the type of payment (advance tax, self-assessment tax or demand). Challan 280 is for income tax, 281 for TDS/TCS and 282 for other direct taxes. Pay by net banking, debit card, UPI or RTGS/NEFT. Keep the challan (CIN) and confirm it appears in AIS/Form 26AS within a few working days.

How do I check my income tax refund status?

Log in to incometax.gov.in and go to Services → Know Your Refund Status, or check Refund/Demand Status after logging in. Refunds are processed at CPC Bengaluru and credited by the refund banker to your pre-validated bank account. Typical timelines are 30-90 days after processing; a mismatch or manual review can delay it. See our income tax refund status guide for the full process.

How long does an income tax refund take?

Once your ITR is processed at CPC Bengaluru, refunds are usually credited within 30-90 days, and often much sooner for simple ITR-1 cases. Delays happen if your bank account is not pre-validated, the ITR is picked for scrutiny, or there is a demand adjustment. Make sure your bank account is pre-validated and linked to the correct PAN on the portal.

TDS & TRACES

How do I download Form 16 or Form 16A?

Form 16 (salary) and Form 16A (non-salary) are issued by the deductor, who downloads them from the TRACES portal (tdscpc.gov.in). As an employee you receive Form 16 from your employer, not directly from TRACES. Employees can, however, register on TRACES with their PAN to view Form 26AS and TDS credits. A self-typed Form 16 is not valid — it must come from TRACES.

PAN & Helplines

How do I apply for or correct a PAN online?

Apply for a new PAN or a correction on the NSDL/Protean portal (tin.tin.nsdl.com) or the UTIITSL portal (utiitsl.com). Aadhaar-based e-KYC lets you get an instant e-PAN in minutes on incometax.gov.in if your Aadhaar has a linked mobile. For corrections, submit the correction form with Aadhaar or passport proof; changes typically sync across portals within 7-15 days.

What are the helpline numbers for the income tax and related portals?

Income Tax e-Filing (incometax.gov.in): 1800-103-0025 or 080-46122000. TRACES (tdscpc.gov.in): 1800-103-0344. NSDL/Protean PAN-TAN: 020-27218080. GST helpdesk (gst.gov.in): 1800-103-4786. EPFO (epfindia.gov.in): 1800-118-005. Most lines run Monday to Saturday. For unresolved issues, use the portal grievance section or CPGRAMS (pgportal.gov.in).

Is the income tax portal free to use?

Yes. Filing your ITR, paying tax, viewing AIS/Form 26AS and tracking refunds on incometax.gov.in are all free. You only pay statutory fees where applicable — for example, a PAN application fee on NSDL/UTIITSL, or a late-filing fee under Section 234F if you file a belated return. Professional help (such as TaxClue) is optional and priced separately.

If you would rather not do it yourself

Related TaxClue services

ITR FilingCA-assisted ITR-1 to ITR-4 filed, verified and refund tracked for you.See the service →TDS Return FilingQuarterly 24Q/26Q filed on TRACES with Form 16/16A generation.See the service →PAN Card ApplicationNew PAN, corrections and instant e-PAN handled end-to-end.See the service →GST RegistrationGet your GSTIN online if your business also needs GST compliance.See the service →

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