Received an income tax notice? Here’s why you should authenticate it and how to do it online

Filed ITR for AY 2026-27 and received an income tax notice? Wait before you act, as it could be a scam. The Income Tax Department provides an ‘Authenticate Notice/Order’ facility on its e-filing portal, allowing taxpayers to check whether a notice, order or other communication was genuinely issued by them.

Taxpayers can verify the authenticity of such communications online before taking any action. Here’s what you should know about the facility.

Why should you authenticate an income tax notice?

Income Tax Department communications issued from 1 October 2019 onwards are required to carry a Document Identification Number (DIN).

It is a computer-generated unique number assigned to communications issued by Income Tax Authorities, including notices, orders, letters and other correspondence with taxpayers. This number can be used to verify the communication through the department’s online authentication facility.

Authenticating a notice can help taxpayers identify potentially fraudulent communications before sharing personal information, clicking on suspicious links or making any payment based on a fake demand.

What happens if a notice does not have a DIN?

A communication issued by an Income Tax Authority without a DIN is generally treated as invalid and “non est” in law, meaning it is considered as if it was never issued.

However, some communications may be exempt from the DIN requirement. To check whether an income tax notice is genuine, taxpayers can verify it through the e-filing portal.

How to authenticate an income tax notice online?

The authentication service is available as a pre-login facility, which means taxpayers do not have to sign in to their e-filing account.

You can verify a communication using either of the following sets of details:

• PAN, document type, assessment year, date of issue and mobile number
• DIN and mobile number

Option 1: Authenticate using PAN and notice details

1. Visit the e-filing portal and select ‘Authenticate Notice/Order issued by ITD’.
2. Choose the option to authenticate using PAN and other details. Enter your PAN, select the document type and assessment year, and provide the date on which the communication was issued and a mobile number.
3. A six-digit OTP will be sent to the mobile number you entered.
4. Enter the OTP to complete the verification.
5. Once the OTP is successfully validated, the details of the relevant communication, including its document number and date of issue, will be displayed.

Importantly, the mobile number used for authentication does not have to be the number registered with your e-filing account. Taxpayers can enter any mobile number that they can access to receive the OTP.

Option 2: Authenticate using DIN

If the communication carries a DIN, taxpayers can directly use the number for verification.

1. Select the “DIN and Mobile Number” option on the authentication page.
2. Enter the DIN mentioned on the Income Tax communication and provide a mobile number.
3. Enter the six-digit OTP received on the mobile number.
4. After successful OTP verification, the portal will display a confirmation message if the communication is found in the department’s records.

If the details entered do not match any communication issued by the Income Tax Department, the portal will show a ‘No record found’ message.

For taxpayers who receive an unexpected income tax notice or communication, checking its authenticity before responding can be a simple but important precaution against scams and fraudulent messages.

Disclaimer: This is only for informational and educational purposes. Please consult a qualified tax expert for the latest tax laws and regulations.