The ITR-V (Income Tax Return - Verification) is an acknowledgement generated when you file your income tax return online. If filed without a digital signature or electronic verification (e-Verification), it must be signed and sent to the tax department to complete the process. Banks and lenders heavily rely on your ITR acknowledgement for the past 2 to 3 years to verify your income stability, calculate loan eligibility, and process high-value credit card applications. It serves as standard legal proof of your annual earnings.

Issued by Income Tax Department (ITD) · Ministry of Finance

• Home loans
  accepted as standard proof of annual income to calculate loan amount

• Personal loans
  used to assess repayment capacity, especially for self-employed individuals

• Credit card applications
  helps determine your credit limit based on your declared income

• Term life insurance
  required for high-cover policies (usually ₹50 Lakhs and above) to justify the life cover amount

• Visa applications
  many embassies require 2 to 3 years of ITRs to prove financial stability

• Buying property
  helps explain the source of funds for high-value real estate transactions

• High-value mutual fund investments
  acts as income proof for KYC and anti-money laundering checks

• Any Indian resident who files an income tax return

• Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who earn taxable income in India

• Companies and firms operating in India

• Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs)

• Minors with independent taxable income (filed by a guardian)

• Individuals who have not filed their income tax return for the relevant assessment year

• Proof of identity
  PAN card

• Proof of income
  Form 16 (for salaried), Form 16A (for TDS), or business accounts

• Bank details
  bank account number and IFSC for refunds

• Linking
  Aadhaar linked with PAN

• Verification
  Aadhaar-linked mobile number for OTP

1. 1

   Go to the Income Tax e-Filing portal (eportal.incometax.gov.in)

2. 2

   Log in using your PAN as the User ID and your password

3. 3

   File your tax return by navigating to 'e-File' then 'Income Tax Returns' then 'File Income Tax Return'

4. 4

   Fill in the required income and tax details

5. 5

   Submit the return and e-Verify it using Aadhaar OTP, net banking, or bank account validation

6. 6

   Once verified, the ITR-V (Acknowledgement) is instantly sent to your registered email

7. 7

   You can also download it from the 'View Filed Returns' section under the 'e-File' menu

1. 1

   Offline filing (paper returns) is highly restricted and only allowed for super senior citizens (aged 80 years or more) filing ITR 1 or ITR 4

2. 2

   Download the paper form from the Income Tax portal

3. 3

   Fill the details and submit it physically at the designated Income Tax Office

4. 4

   Obtain a stamped acknowledgement receipt from the receiving officer

• Income Tax e-Filing portal (https://eportal.incometax.gov.in/)

• Registered Chartered Accountants (CAs)

• Tax Return Preparers (TRPs)

• Approved online tax filing platforms (like Cleartax, Tax2win)

• Banks can verify the details directly via the Income Tax portal API (if you grant them consent)

• You can scan the QR code printed on the ITR-V

• Anyone with the PAN and Acknowledgement Number can check the ITR status on the e-Filing portal public 'Verify Your ITR Status' page

• e-Verified ITR-V
  the standard, fully complete acknowledgement that requires no further action

• Unverified ITR-V
  a pending acknowledgement that must be signed and posted to CPC Bengaluru or e-Verified within 30 days to become valid

• ITR Intimation Order (Section 143(1))
  a separate document sent after the tax department fully processes the ITR, sometimes asked by banks instead of the ITR-V

1. 1

   Log in to the Income Tax e-Filing portal

2. 2

   Click on 'e-File' in the top menu

3. 3

   Select 'Income Tax Returns' and then 'View Filed Returns'

4. 4

   Find the Assessment Year you want

5. 5

   Click the 'Download Receipt' button

6. 6

   The PDF is password-protected: the password is your PAN in lowercase followed by your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format (e.g., abcde1234f01011990)

1. 1

   You cannot change an ITR-V once generated

2. 2

   To fix a mistake in your income or tax details, you must file a 'Revised Return'

3. 3

   Go to 'e-File' > 'Income Tax Returns' > 'File Income Tax Return'

4. 4

   Select 'Revised Return' under section 139(5)

5. 5

   Submit and e-Verify the new return to generate a new ITR-V for that year

1. 1

   Go to the Income Tax e-Filing portal homepage

2. 2

   Under 'Quick Links', click 'Income Tax Return (ITR) Status'

3. 3

   Enter your Acknowledgement Number and Mobile Number

4. 4

   Enter the OTP received on your mobile to view if it is verified, processed, or defective

1. 1

   Since it is a digital document, it cannot be permanently lost

2. 2

   Simply log in to the e-Filing portal, go to 'View Filed Returns', and download a fresh PDF copy anytime for free

3. 3

   Check your registered email inbox, as a copy is automatically emailed when you file

• PAN-Aadhaar
  your PAN and Aadhaar must be linked to file an ITR and generate the acknowledgement

• Bank Account Validation
  your bank account must be pre-validated on the tax portal to receive refunds and easily e-Verify

• Filing an ITR and getting an ITR-V is useful even if your income is below the taxable limit (Zero Tax Return), as it builds your financial history

• The password for the ITR-V PDF is always your PAN (lowercase) + DOB (DDMMYYYY)

• As of recent rules, you have strictly 30 days from filing to e-Verify the ITR, otherwise it is considered invalid and not filed

• The ITR-V contains a 15-digit acknowledgement number that banks use to fetch your verified income

• Your ITR-V is not a tax clearance certificate; the department can still send notices if they find discrepancies later

• If you owe tax, the ITR cannot be successfully processed until the self-assessment tax is paid

• Banks strongly prefer ITRs filed on time; late returns (filed with penalty) are sometimes viewed with suspicion by loan underwriters

• The QR code on the physical printout contains key details like PAN, name, and total income

• Forgetting to e-Verify => submitting the return online is not enough; you must e-Verify via OTP or send the signed ITR-V to Bengaluru within 30 days, or the return is void

• Wrong PDF password => people try their name or standard passwords; it is always lowercase PAN + DDMMYYYY

• Mismatch with Form 26AS/AIS => declaring less income than what the government's Annual Information Statement shows leads to notices

• Supplying the unverified ITR-V to banks => banks will reject the ITR-V if it is pending verification

• Giving a defective return => if the IT department flags your return as defective (e.g., missing tax payment), the ITR-V loses its value until corrected

• Do not share your e-Filing portal password with anyone, even your CA; let them prepare the return, but you should log in to e-Verify

• Always verify the ITR-V details before sending it to a bank to ensure your CA didn't artificially inflate your income to help you get a loan (which is illegal)

• Keep copies of your ITR-V for at least 7 years, as tax notices can be issued retroactively

• If you physically mail the ITR-V to CPC, always use Speed Post to track delivery and keep the receipt

• Mask your Aadhaar number if you are printing the ITR-V for non-banking purposes, though standard ITR-Vs usually show PAN rather than Aadhaar

• Income Tax e-Filing Helpline: 1800 103 0025 or 1800 419 0025 (Monday to Saturday, 8 AM to 8 PM)

• General Tax Queries: 1961

• eportal.incometax.gov.in
• incometaxindia.gov.in
• incometax.gov.in

Last checked: 4 November 2026

Rules, fees and timelines change. Always confirm on the official website before you apply.