E-Filing Process

QUESTIONS RELATED TO E-FILING PROCESS
1. I don’t understand the process of e-filing. What should I do?

Answer: To understand the procedure to file e-returns, use the Help file, available on home page of the ITD e-filing web site, which can be accessed by clicking the link “How to e-File” to know more about e-returns

2. What information do I need, to register myself in the ITD e-filing website?

Answer: The basic information required is: PAN, First Name, Middle Name, Surname, DOB, Father’s Name, valid e-mail id and Mobile number.

3. What happens if I Don’t Register?

Answer: Without the unique User ID and password, no individual will be able to access the web site. This registration needs to be done only once.

4. Should Registration be made in the name of the Company or can a director register in his name and file the returns of the company from his user id?

Answer: No. A company’s PAN is required to be registered on ITD e-filing website for uploading the return of the company.

5. Can a Chartered Accountant (CA) can file return on behalf of the Company?

Answer: No. The person authorized by the company to file the return, can file the return of the company online.

6. What do I do next after registration?

Answer: After registration, ITD will send an activation link on the registered email id of the taxpayer. Once the taxpayer clicks the same, the user-id of the taxpayer becomes functional. Now, the taxpayer can login into ITD e-filing website. Therefore, taxpayer is advised to provide a valid email id in the registration profile.

7. What is the Return Preparation Software?

Answer: The ITD e-filing website has provided User Friendly utilities in Excel format for free download. These may be used by the individuals or organizations to file their returns electronically. These utilities are called the ‘Return Preparation Software’. The input to the “Return Preparation Software” will be the actual data that taxpayer need to fill while preparing return of income.

8. Is it necessary that I use the Client Side Utility created by Income tax Department? Can I use some other utility?

Answer: Yes. The e-Return Preparation Software provided at the ITD e-filing website are free for anyone to use in order to create the e-return XML file. End users are also free to use any other utility created by other software providers, as long as the XML output conforms to the XML Schema which has been posted at the E-Filing website.

9. What are the system requirements to download and use the Client Side Utility?

Answer: The minimum system requirements needed to download and use the Return Preparation Software are :
PC with 128 MB RAM, P-III processor, MS Excel, Internet connection, Internet Browser, at least 25 MB free hard disk space, Adobe Acrobat Reader, and Windows Operating system (Win 2000 or higher version), Java Run-time Environment Version 6 (Beta) for using DSC.

10. What is XML?

Answer: XML stands for Extensible Markup Language. It is a general purpose markup language designed especially for Web documents. XML is a way of describing data and it allows designers to create their own customized tags, enabling the definition, transmission, validation, and interpretation of data between applications and between organizations. Any Client Side Utility which creates an e-return XML will be a file with an extension .xml. This is the file that must be uploaded to the ITD e-filing website

11. What is a Schema?

Answer: A schema refers to the collection of database objects associated with a particular database. Any user who files e-return will have created an xml file based on the schema. A simple analogy would be that the schema represents a letter template where the user enters the addressee details, name, salutation, body text etc which then completes the document which is the equivalent of an xml file. The template ensures uniformity and standardization of the format of the letter in the same way that the schema provides a structure to the xml file.
On uploading the file on to the system, a unique database object is created in the Income tax Department system. If you are using the services of the Utilities available at the e- Filing website, or any other Utility capable of generating an e-return XML for these forms, you need not download the schema or be worried about it. The Schema is made available to those individuals, software companies and organizations who wish to use this code to help create their own software utility for filling up these forms.

12. Why do I get an error message at the time of submission/uploading of return ?

Answer: It could generally happen due to incorrect data or non-filling of mandatory fields. Rectify the errors until there are no further error messages. Please do not use any Special Characters such as -, _, &, !, ^, <, >, #, ~, %, or * while doing data entry since it may cause an error while generating XML file or while uploading the XML file. In case the problem persists, contact the ASK call center at ask@incometaxindia.gov.in .

13. What is to be done if taxpayer get NULL error, while uploading the xml file ?

Answer: This particular problem happens when there is slow internet connection or network congestion, as the XML is file is not read completely and henceforth it throws exception stating to upload proper XML. Trying after sometime may resolve this problem. Kindly follow the following steps :
Set the Internet Explorer settings to Low. Go to Control Panel — Java — General — Settings. Uncheck the “Keep Temporary Files on my computer” and click the “Delete Files” button and press OK.
Close your existing browser and open a new browser and upload your xml file again. Moreover, use only Internet Explorer or Google Chrome as your browser. If the problem persist, kindly contact the ASK call center at ask@incometaxindia.gov.in .

14. I have saved the xml file in my computer but while uploading system is giving the error “Cannot read the xml file? What should I do ?

Answer: Kindly set the Internet Explorer Security Settings to Low as per following steps :
a. In case of windows professional/vista, then
Go to Control Panel — Java — General —Settings
Kindly uncheck the “Keep Temporary Files on my computer” and click the “Delete Files” button and press OK. Close your existing browser and open a new browser.

b. In case of Windows XP, then
Go to Control Panel —- Other Control Panel Options — Java — General —Settings
Kindly uncheck the “Keep Temporary Files on my computer” and click the “Delete Files” button and press OK. Close your existing browser and open a new browser.

15. Where do I save the downloaded files. Can I delete them later ?

Answer: You can download the files on to your local machine. Fill in the required information and upload the file back on to the web site. After receiving an acknowledgement of the submission, the file can be saved. It is recommended that the XML file be retained for your records. It is recommended that a print out of the duly filled form be taken for your record.

16. What to do when there is an Error in uploading the xml?

Answer: The nature of problem may kindly be highlighted. A email may be sent to efiling@incometaxindia.gov.in along with the following details Userid, Password, xml file, PAN. The e-filing administrator will analyze the problem and will revert back to taxpayer with solution.

17. Is it mandatory to enter Bank Account details in case of foreign companies?

Answer: The bank account details are mandatory in case of foreign companies due to the reason that if they are doing any transaction in India, they have to have the Bank Account in India.

18. Validate button is not working in Return Preparation software provided by the Department.

Answer: Kindly enable the macros in Microsoft Excel from the tools option, macro setting should be low or medium.

19. While making data entry in some fields in the utility provided by the Department, the error message flashes : “Password protected”

Answer: The field gives the error message ‘Password Protected’ in case when the person using the utility tries to enter the value in the field which is auto-calculated or the field which is auto populated from the other schedules.