- Date : 31/07/2023
- Read: 3 mins
A look at the remedial action required if you notice a mistake in your ITR after submitting it but before verification.
Once you are done filling in all the details in your Income Tax Return (ITR), you get the option to preview the return. You can glance through the entire return and make corrections if required.
Once this is done, the e-filing portal runs a validation of its own. Errors or omissions get highlighted even during the validation, which you can address and then submit the ITR. Just when you are about to verify it, you realise that you have made a mistake. Should you verify it or not? You have to verify it, irrespective of whether your return is accurate or not.
Also Read: Strategies To Maximise Tax Refunds: Key Tips For Indian Income Tax Return (ITR)
The Point of No Return
Imagine that you noticed a mistake in the ITR after submission but before verification. The temptation would be to not verify it and start a new ITR afresh. But once you submit an ITR, you cannot abandon it by not verifying it. The e-filing portal will not let you do so.
Even if you somehow submit and e-verify a new return without verifying the earlier one, you will receive a notice from the income tax department. Practically, this is possible only in the event of a system glitch.
So, once you submit the ITR, it becomes irreversible. You have to verify the return, despite the apparent mistake that you have belatedly spotted. Thereafter, you file a revised return which rectifies the mistakes made in the first one.
Status of a Submitted Return
As per the Income Tax Act, an ITR remains invalid until it is verified. The ITR filing process is complete only after the verification of the return. Once submitted, an ITR must be verified within 30 days. This ITR is considered to be the original return filed under section 139(1).
Since there is a mistake in the original return, you must file a revised return under section 139(5). In the revised return, you will have to mention the original return’s acknowledgement number and date of filing. You will not have this information if you don’t submit and verify the return in the first place.
To Sum Up
If you spot a mistake in the ITR you have just submitted, you might as well submit it anyway. Any rectifications, if required, can be made in the subsequently filed revised return.
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Also Read: A Step-by-Step Guide To Filing Income Tax Return Using The IT Department’s Excel Utilities
Disclaimer: This article is intended for general information purposes only and should not be construed as investment or legal advice. You should separately obtain independent advice when making decisions in these areas.
