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Income Tax Filing Alert: Post-Filing Steps You Must Not Miss to Avoid ITR Rejection

As the income tax filing season begins in full swing, many taxpayers are rushing to submit their Income Tax Returns (ITRs) online. Forms like ITR-1 and ITR-4 are now available on the official portal, and individuals are wasting no time in filing. However, submitting the return is not the final step. Many filers mistakenly believe that once they hit "submit," their responsibilities end. In reality, two critical tasks must be completed after filing, or the return could be deemed invalid by the Income Tax Department.

Let’s take a detailed look at what these steps are, why they’re important, and what you risk losing if you ignore them.

✅ Step 1: Check Your Email for Acknowledgment

Immediately after filing your ITR, the first thing you should do is check your registered email inbox. The Income Tax Department will send an acknowledgment receipt (ITR-V) confirming that your return has been successfully filed. This email serves as a record of your submission and contains important information like:

• Your ITR acknowledgment number

• The date and time of filing

• A PDF attachment of your filed return

Carefully review this acknowledgment. It confirms that your return has been submitted—but not yet processed or verified.

Additionally, under the new rule, if you ever plan to revise your ITR, you can only do so if your original return has already been verified. So, keep this receipt safe.

✅ Step 2: Verify Your ITR Within 30 Days

Perhaps the most important post-filing step is verifying your ITR. If your return is not verified within 30 days, the Income Tax Department will treat it as not filed at all. This could result in:

• Loss of refund (if applicable)

• Penalties for late or non-filing

• The need to file the entire return again from scratch

Earlier, taxpayers had 120 days to complete verification, but as of August 1, 2022, this window has been reduced to 30 days. Skipping or delaying verification could render your entire filing effort useless.

Important Tip: Don't wait until the last day. As soon as you file, cross-check your form for typos or data errors, and then proceed to verify it immediately.

💡 How to Verify Your ITR?

The Income Tax Department provides multiple methods for verification:

• E-Verification via Aadhaar OTP

• EVC through net banking

• Demat account verification

• Sending a physical signed ITR-V to CPC, Bengaluru (only if e-verification is not possible)

Among these, Aadhaar OTP and net banking are the quickest and most recommended.

🔍 Track Your Refund Status

If you’re eligible for a tax refund, it will be credited directly to your bank account after successful verification and processing. Keep an eye on the refund status by:

• Logging in to the Income Tax e-Filing portal

• Visiting the “Refund Status” section under your account dashboard

Regularly checking your refund status ensures that you don't miss any updates or bank mismatches that could delay your refund.

📝 Final Thoughts: Filing Is Half the Job—Verification Completes It

It’s essential to remember: Filing your return is just step one. Unless you verify your return within the stipulated time, it will not be considered valid, no matter how correctly it was filed.

To summarize:

• Step 1: Check your email for the ITR acknowledgment receipt

• Step 2: Verify your ITR within 30 days via any approved method

• Optional but recommended: Monitor your refund status on the portal

By ensuring you complete these two post-filing steps, you not only safeguard your return from being marked invalid but also ensure any due refunds reach you promptly.