Received an income tax notice? Verify authenticity before responding to protect against scams
The income tax filing season is in full swing. All taxpayers must submit their taxes on or before the due date, i.e., 31 July.
At this time, receiving an income tax notice can be stressful. Before initiating action on any such notice, taxpayers should first confirm that the communication is genuine before sharing personal information or details or making payments.
Fraudsters use fake notices to create a sense of urgency. To address this situation, the income tax has mandated that every notice, summons, information or official communication issued on or after 1 October 2019 will bear a unique Document Identification Number (DIN).
This DIN will enable taxpayers to verify the authenticity of such communications on the Income Tax e-filing portal without logging in to their accounts. This process will also help them distinguish legitimate tax notices from illegitimate ones.
Why authenticating a tax notice matters
A valid notification or notice confirms that the concerned tax authorities have officially issued it. Thus, eliminating the risk of financial fraud and scams involving fake payment requests or demands for critical information, such as OTPs, CVVs and ATM PINs.
Any communication that is issued without a legitimate and valid DIN is treated as invalid, subject to applicable and clearly defined exceptions. Authentication also ensures that all taxpayers respond to fair and legitimate notices on time while also avoiding unnecessary panic over fake ones.
Steps to verify an income tax notice
All taxpayers can carefully check and authenticate a notice on the Income Tax e-filing portal, using either their PAN or DIN printed on the document. This service does not require a taxpayer to log in to their accounts.
An OTP valid for 15 minutes is sent to the provided mobile number, and users have 3 attempts to enter the correct number. Also, the mobile number that is used for OTP verification does not need to be registered on the e-filing portal.
Verifying an income tax notice before responding to it is a simple yet extremely important safeguard against financial crimes. Following the official income tax website and completing a quick authentication check can help taxpayers identify genuine communications and avoid financial scams.
