Income Tax Return Filing for AY 2019-20: Read How to Access and File ITR through ‘e-filing Lite' Portal

The Income Tax Department has launched a lighter version of e-Filing website, known as ‘e-Filing Lite’ on 1 August 2019, with the aim to facilitate easy and swift filing of returns by taxpayers.

In order to access ‘e-Filing Lite’, you will have to log in to the e-filing website of Income Tax department - incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in and use your credentials like user name and password to file the ITR. There are 2 buttons on the homepage – ‘Portal Login’ button & the ‘e-Filing Lite’ – for the taxpayer to select from.

How is e-Filing Lite different?

Being a lighter version, the ‘e-Filing Lite’ will not have the same links as available to the taxpayer on accessing website login on the income tax e-filing portal.

The e-Filing Lite website will provide access only to 3 sections i.e. Dashboard, My Account & E-File sections. Under ‘My Account’ section, only Form 26AS, Pre-filled returns & download of XML version of pre-filled returns will be possible. Notably, tax credit mismatch & verification links will not be there. Under the e-File section, only e-filing could be done.

If you go through the standard website login, you can view the entire gamut of services such as Dashboard, My Account, E-file proceedings, E-nivaran, Compliance & E-File etc. In order to link your bank account, Aadhaar or to make modifications in address etc, you will have to access this portal.

But if you already have got all the information including personal details saved in the system then the filing of ITR via ‘e-Filing Lite’ will be quicker and easier.

Last Date for Filing ITR for AY 2019-20

It is important to mention that the last date for filing of ITR for the year 2019-20 has already been extended to 31 August, as per IT Department website.

The Income Tax department has also issued an update that the IT return preparation software is changed to update the Section 234A interest calculation along with many other minor corrections & the same is available for download. Now people will not be able to give any excuses for delaying their ITR filing thus avoid waiting for the last day to complete the process.