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Income Tax e-Filing Portal — Complete Guide to incometax.gov.in (AY 2026-27)

Updated: 3 June 2026  |  incometax.gov.in  |  Valid for AY 2026-27 (Tax Year 2025-26)

The income tax e-filing portal (incometax.gov.in) is the official CBDT platform to file ITR, pay tax, view Form 26AS and AIS, respond to notices, track refunds, and access all tax services. Log in with your PAN as User ID, then complete OTP two-factor authentication. PAN must be linked with Aadhaar for portal access. The portal was revamped in June 2021.
AY 2026-27
Filing window for AY 2026-27 (Tax Year 2025-26) is open
Due date for non-audit cases: 31 July 2026  |  Portal: incometax.gov.in  |  Helpdesk: 1800-103-0025
⚠
PAN-Aadhaar linking is mandatory. If your PAN is not linked with Aadhaar, the portal will block login and ITR filing. Link at incometax.gov.in → "Link Aadhaar." A fee of ₹1,000 applies. Reactivation takes 4-7 working days after linking.

Key Features of the Income Tax e-Filing Portal

Feature Navigation Path Notes
File Income Tax Return (ITR) e-File → Income Tax Returns → File Income Tax Return Select AY 2026-27; pre-filled data auto-populated from AIS/26AS
View Filed Returns & Download ITR-V e-File → Income Tax Returns → View Filed Returns Download acknowledgement and computation; e-verify if pending
Pay Tax (Challan 280) e-Pay Tax → New Payment → Income Tax (Challan 280) Pay advance tax, self-assessment tax, or demand; UPI/net banking accepted
Annual Information Statement (AIS) Services → Annual Information Statement (AIS) Shows salary, dividends, mutual funds, property transactions; submit feedback if data is wrong
View Form 26AS e-File → Income Tax Returns → View Form 26AS Redirects to TRACES; shows TDS/TCS credits and advance tax
Track Tax Refund e-File → Income Tax Returns → View Filed Returns → check refund status Also trackable at tin.tin.nsdl.com with PAN and AY
Respond to Tax Notice e-Proceedings → View Notices Upload response to notices under 143(1), 139(9), 147, etc.
File Form 10E (Section 89 Relief) e-File → Income Tax Forms → File Form 10E Must be filed BEFORE filing ITR to claim salary arrears relief
File Form 67 (Foreign Tax Credit) e-File → Income Tax Forms → File Form 67 Required if you have foreign income and want to claim DTAA benefit
Link Aadhaar Dashboard widget or Profile → Aadhaar Linking Mandatory; ₹1,000 late fee applicable
Register DSC Profile → My Profile → Digital Signature Certificate Required for companies and audit-required taxpayers; Class 3 DSC
Grievance Submission Help → Submit Grievance Use for refund delays, portal access issues, and incorrect processing

Login Methods on the e-Filing Portal

PRIMARY

PAN + Password + OTP

The standard login method. Enter your 10-character PAN as User ID, enter your portal password, and complete the 6-digit OTP sent to your registered mobile number. OTP expires in 60 seconds. This is the most commonly used method for individual taxpayers.

QUICK

Aadhaar OTP Login

Log in using your PAN + Aadhaar OTP without requiring your portal password. Click "Login with Aadhaar OTP" on the login page → enter PAN → an OTP is sent to the mobile number registered with Aadhaar (not necessarily the mobile registered on the portal). Useful if you forgot your portal password. PAN-Aadhaar linking must be active.

ALTERNATIVE

Net Banking Login

Select "Net Banking" on the login page → choose your bank from the list (SBI, HDFC, ICICI, Axis, etc.) → log in through your bank's net banking → you are redirected back to the income tax portal as logged in. Useful for users who remember their net banking credentials but not their portal password. Net banking login does not require a separate portal registration in some cases.

Pre-Filled ITR — How It Works for AY 2026-27

The e-filing portal pre-fills ITR forms using data aggregated from multiple sources: employer's TDS return (Form 24Q → pre-fills salary income and TDS), bank interest from Form 26AS, dividend data from the demat/registrar, mutual fund data, and property transaction data from AIS. Before submitting, always verify:

VERIFY

Cross-Check Pre-Filled Salary with Form 16

Compare the pre-filled salary figure with the gross salary and taxable amount in Form 16 Part B issued by your employer. Small discrepancies can occur if your employer submitted their TDS return after the portal fetched the data. Always use Form 16 figures as the authoritative source — edit the pre-filled figure if needed.

VERIFY

Check TDS Credits Against Form 26AS

Every TDS entry in the pre-filled return should match Form 26AS. If a TDS deduction is missing (employer hasn't filed TDS return yet), you can add it manually — but it will be allowed only if it appears in Form 26AS before processing. File after your employer's TDS return deadline (quarterly) to ensure all credits are reflected.

CAUTION

AIS Shows More Transactions — Review Carefully

AIS may show transactions you don't recognise (e.g., shares sold through broker, mutual fund redemptions, property purchases). If any AIS entry is incorrect (wrong PAN attribution), submit feedback marking it as "Incorrect" or "Not fully correct" in the AIS portal. This feedback does not delete the entry but is considered during ITR processing. Always report all transactions correctly — do not omit income just because it appears in AIS.

Mobile App — AIS-ITR App by CBDT

CBDT launched the AIS-ITR mobile app (available on Google Play and App Store) allowing taxpayers to: view their Annual Information Statement (AIS) and Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS); pre-verify income data before filing; file simple ITRs (ITR-1 for salaried taxpayers with income up to ₹50 lakh) directly from the app. The app requires the same PAN login and OTP authentication as the web portal.

Common Portal Errors & Fixes

ERROR

Portal Down / Server Error During Peak Season

The portal experiences heavy load in July-August (due date rush). Try filing between 11 PM and 6 AM. Use Chrome or Edge. Save your ITR draft frequently using the "Save Draft" option to avoid losing data. If session expires, log back in — your draft is saved on the server.

ERROR

OTP Not Received on Registered Mobile

If you don't receive the login OTP: (1) Check if your registered mobile is the same number as on the portal (Profile → Contact Details); (2) Try Aadhaar OTP login instead; (3) Use "Forgot Password" with bank account validation to reset and update your mobile; (4) DND services on your mobile may block OTPs — contact your mobile operator to enable transactional SMS.

ERROR

ITR e-Verification Pending — Return Not Processed

After filing, e-verify within 30 days. Methods: Aadhaar OTP (instant), net banking, bank account validation, or Demat account validation. If 30 days pass, the ITR is treated as not filed. Send a signed physical ITR-V to CPC Bengaluru (Centralised Processing Centre) by speed post if e-verification fails — address is printed on the ITR-V form.

Portal history: The current incometax.gov.in portal was launched in June 2021, replacing the older portal (efiling.incometax.gov.in). The new portal faced significant technical issues in its first year (2021-22) including slow loading and errors in ITR processing — Infosys (the developer) was directed by the Finance Minister to fix issues urgently. As of AY 2026-27, the portal is significantly more stable. Always keep your portal registered mobile number and email updated to receive OTPs and notices.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I access my old ITRs filed in previous years from the e-filing portal?
Log in to incometax.gov.in → go to e-File → Income Tax Returns → View Filed Returns. All ITRs filed from AY 2013-14 onwards are available. You can view the ITR summary, download the ITR-V acknowledgement, and download the computation of income. For ITRs filed before AY 2013-14, contact the Centralised Processing Centre (CPC) at 1800-103-4455. If you filed a paper return and it was processed by the Assessing Officer, you may need to contact your jurisdictional Income Tax Office for older records.
The pre-filled ITR data on the portal is wrong — how do I correct it before submitting?
Pre-filled data is sourced from your employer's TDS returns, Form 26AS, and AIS — errors in the source data may reflect here. You can edit any pre-filled field directly in the ITR form on the portal. For salary income, cross-check with your Form 16 Part B (employer's computation). For TDS, verify against Form 26AS and Form 16A. If a TDS entry is missing, check if your employer has filed their TDS return — you can add TDS manually in the ITR and still claim the credit if it appears in Form 26AS. If an AIS entry is wrong (e.g., a transaction wrongly attributed to you), submit feedback on the AIS portal to mark it as "Incorrect" — this helps but does not block filing.
The income tax portal is not loading or showing errors — what should I try?
Common fixes for portal loading issues: (1) Clear browser cache and cookies completely (Ctrl+Shift+Delete) and reload; (2) Switch to Chrome or Microsoft Edge — avoid Firefox for ITR filing as some forms may not render; (3) Try incognito/private mode to rule out extension conflicts; (4) Disable ad blockers and VPNs which can interfere with the portal's authentication scripts; (5) The portal is extremely slow during peak filing season (July-August) — try between 11 PM and 6 AM when server load is lower; (6) If you get a "Server Error" or "Session Expired" message, log out completely, clear session cookies, and log back in. The portal status updates are posted on the official Income Tax India Twitter handle @IncomeTaxIndia. Helpdesk: 1800-103-0025.
How do I register a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) on the income tax portal?
DSC registration is required for companies and auditors. Steps: (1) Obtain a Class 3 DSC from a licensed Certifying Authority (CA) — valid for 1-3 years; (2) Log in to incometax.gov.in → Profile → My Profile → DSC; (3) Download the "Utility to Register DSC" and install it; (4) Insert your DSC USB token → run the utility → it will detect and display your DSC details; (5) Verify with OTP sent to registered mobile → DSC is registered. DSC token must be physically plugged in at the time of registration and when signing returns. If DSC throws errors, update the emSigner utility from the portal and ensure your browser has allowed the local port.
How do I file Form 10E on the income tax portal for salary arrears relief under Section 89?
Section 89 relief applies when you receive arrears of salary that were due in earlier years. Form 10E must be filed online BEFORE submitting your ITR, otherwise the relief will not be allowed. Steps: (1) Log in to incometax.gov.in → e-File → Income Tax Forms → File Income Tax Forms; (2) Search for Form 10E → select the relevant Assessment Year; (3) Fill in Table A (salary arrears details) and Table D (the relief calculation comparing tax with and without arrears spread across years); (4) Submit and e-verify Form 10E; (5) Now file your ITR and claim the Section 89 relief — the portal will cross-verify that Form 10E has been filed. Not filing Form 10E before ITR results in a defective return notice from CPC.

Related Pages

Income Tax Login Guide File ITR Online ITR Filing Due Date AIS Guide Form 26AS TRACES Portal Advance Tax Income Tax Calculator

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