Step-by-step guide to efiling your IT returns online

The income tax due date for the financial year 2011-2012 is 31 July 2012. Submission of IT returns online is simple and easier. As a salaried person, you have to file Income Tax return if your Gross Total Income is five lakhs or more including interest earned out of Bank Deposits more than ten thousand.

For efiling, you have to login at the Income Tax India efiling website at https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/portal/login.do . If you are not a registered user, you can click the the the new user registration link on the page. You can register using your PAN card number. Once you click on the 'Register' button you will be taken to a form that will automatically have your address and other details (as submitted by you for getting a PAN). You will just have to put your own password, telephone number, e-mail and click on the 'Submit' button.

Once logged in, click on the “e-Filing A.Y. 2012-13” link on the downloads section on the left side of the page to Download Return Preparation Software. This is an excel sheet where you can fill in your details.

There are five forms available

ITR-1(SAHAJ): Individuals with salary, income from one house property or income from other sources (except lottery)

ITR-2: Individuals HUFs having any income other than business income

ITR-3: Individuals and HUFs who are partners in firms and not proprietors

ITR-4S (SUGAM): Individuals and HUFs deriving business income and opting for presumptive taxation.

ITR-4: Individuals and HUFs having proprietary business or Profession

The forms are downloaded as compressed zip file which need to extracted. You have to open the *.xls file from the unzipped files. To use the software you may have to enable the Macros in the Microsoft Excel, which will be prompted on opening the file in most cases.

The filling of the form is straightforward and the Form 16 will be handy. Fill out all the particulars in the downloaded software and validate entries by clicking on ‘Validate’ on the last sheet. Access THE ‘Generate XML’ link; save the generated XML File

Once the xml file is generated, go to the webpage, click Select Assessment Year link link on the SUBMIT RETURN section and select the year. In the page that appears, you have to select the type of form you have filled and also the option to digitally sign the form, which in most of our cases will be no. (Acquiring digital signature requires spending around Rs. 700 to Rs. 1500 and after that get it renewed every year spending again around Rs.500 , hence it is advised that persons who are not compulsorily required to file return using digital signature should stick to normal filing online without digital signature as the signatures would hardly be used anywhere else.) Then click the Next button, which will take you to the page for submitting the generated xml file.

On uploading the file, aknowledgement in the form ITR-V is generated. This is a password protected pdf file and the password to open it is your PAN (in lower cases) followed by your date of birth. If your return was digitally signed, the process is over. Or else

Take a printout of the generated ITR-V. Sign it in blue ink in the space provided. Send the signed acknowledgement via post within 120 days to the IT Dept.-CPC, P.B No -1, Electronic City Post offices, Bengaluru – 560100. Keep checking the receipt status on the site using the acknowledgement number on ITR-V.