This is a guest post by Mr. Vikram Ramchand of MakeMyReturns.com

Filed your return online?

Forgot to send the ITR-V to CPC Bangalore?

Or are unsure whether the ITR-V reaches the Central Processing Center or not?

These are some of the general worries that the tax payer faces when he files his returns electronically. There have been a number of cases where such returns have not reached the CPC or have reached late due to lapses on the part of the taxpayer or some other reasons. As per the norms in force at present, a taxpayer who files an e-return has to mandatorily send a copy of the same by post to the I-T department’s Central Processing Centre (CPC) in Bengaluru. Since the post has not reached the CPC, the tax department categorized the taxpayers return as null and void.

In order to reduce the burden of the Tax Payer of sending the ITR-V to the CPC, the Income Tax department has decided to bring in the facility of electronic signatures for taxpayers to digitally sign their ITR-V’s. The CBDT has decided to implement this system and has plans to bring it into use by the next financial year in March, 2015.
The CBDT has been in touch with the Union Ministries of Law & Communication and IT to look into the Legal standing and Technology requirements before it brings into operations the new protocols for E-Filing of Returns called ITR-V. The only hitch is the procedure to obtain the Digital Signature for Tax Payers. Presently the digital signature used by corporates can be created by paying a fee and requires regular renewal. If the same system is used for the salaried class and other categories of small taxpayers then this would be an additional cost or procedural burden for the tax payer who opts to file his or her I-T returns online.

The department also wants to promote e-filing of I-T returns and it desires that e-filing should be “hassle free and sans any glitches”, which will prompt more number of people to file their tax returns by this way.
The I-T department is also bolstered by the fact that more and more number of people are opting to file their returns online.

As per existing rules, the CPC, on receipt of the posted ‘ITRV’, sends an electronic acknowledgement to the tax return filer. The problem arises when the document sent by post does not reach the CPC because of lapses on the part of the taxpayer or some other reason.

Caveat: I have no ability to understand taxation of 2014. In 1988 I used to appear before the Commissioner of IT and the ITAT (Income Tax Appellate Tribunal). So read understand and do what is right, I have no clue about the accuracy of this article. Other than what a spell check does, I HAVE DONE NOTHING 🙂