Verifying your Income Tax Return (ITR) after filing is crucial, and fortunately, the Income Tax Department offers several convenient methods to complete this process. Here’s an overview of the various verification options available.

Online verification methods

Online verification of your ITR is preferred due to its speed and convenience. Here are the various methods available to verify your ITR online in India:

Aadhaar OTP: The most straightforward choice is the Aadhaar OTP. Your Permanent Account Number (PAN), acknowledgement number, and a registered Aadhaar number that is connected to a phone number are required. After entering this information, the e-filing portal will send a temporary OTP to your mobile phone. Enter the OTP in the designated field to finalize the verification process. 

However, ensure that your mobile number is linked to your Aadhaar for this process. You can verify and update this information on the UIDAI website. Enter the OTP as soon as you can because it is typically only valid for a short period. You should never give out your Aadhaar OTP to anyone for security reasons.

Electronic Verification Code (EVC): The EVC method provides an alternative for online verification of your ITR on the e-filing portal. Only those who have registered on the e-filing system as individual taxpayers can create EVC. There should be a pre-validated bank or demat account associated with the EVC. Verify that on the e-filing website, it is both connected and enabled.

Generating EVC is easy and simple with the following steps:

1. Sign in to the Income Tax e-filing portal with your User ID and password.

2. Go to the “Services” section on the Dashboard and click on “Generate EVC”.

3. Select the account (bank or demat) from which you wish to generate the EVC.

4. Verify your PAN details associated with the selected account, if prompted.

5. After verification, an EVC will be sent to your registered mobile number and email address linked with either the e-filing portal or the bank/ demat account (depending on your chosen option).

You can use the EVC option to verify your ITR using some easy-to-do steps that include:

1. Navigate to the “e-Verify Return” section of the e-filing portal.

2. Provide your PAN, Assessment Year, Acknowledgement Number of the filed ITR, and your mobile number.

3. Choose “EVC” as your verification method.

4. Enter the received EVC and proceed with submission.

Remember that an EVC is only good for 72 hours after it is generated. You can make a new EVC if your current one has expired. There’s no need to send a hard copy of your ITR-V to CPC Bangalore once you’ve successfully verified your return with EVC.

The Income Tax Department promotes online verification to achieve a faster and more efficient ITR filing system.

Offline verification methods

You can verify your ITR in India offline, though online verification is the fastest and most recommended method. The following is the only way to verify the ITR offline.

Sending a signed ITR-V form: Once you file your ITR online, you can download a pre-filled ITR-V form. Print the form and sign it using blue ink. Make sure the barcode and the numbers below it are visible, with no signatures overlapping the barcode. Mail the signed ITR-V form via ordinary or express post (courier services are not permitted) within 120 days of filing to Income Tax Department – CPC, Post Bag No - 1Electronic City Post Office, Bengaluru – 560500, Karnataka

Kindly note that this method is more time-consuming than online verification. It could take the department a few weeks or months to receive and review your ITR. Using paper ITR-V forms for verification is strongly discouraged by the Income Tax Department due to the delay and the availability of faster online solutions.

However, if you choose this approach, make sure to send the form within the 120-day limit to avoid issues or delays in the filing of your ITR.