Filed ITR But Haven't Verified It? Your Complete Process Will Become Invalid Unless...

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New Delhi: As of now, about 2.51 crore ITRs have been filed for Assessment Year 2025–26. Of these, 2.43 crore have already been verified, and 1.13 crore processed. The income tax portal currently has over 13.21 crore registered users. The government has extended the ITR filing deadline for those originally due on July 31, 2025, to September 15, 2025.

Why is e-Verification Important?
After you file your ITR, you must verify it—either electronically (e-verification) or by sending a signed ITR-V form. Verification is mandatory: if you don’t do this, your ITR is considered as “not filed” and will not be processed.

Deadline for e-Verification or ITR-V Submission
You have 30 days from the date of filing your ITR to complete the verification.

If you verify within 30 days: Your filing date stays as the original date you submitted your return.

If you verify after 30 days (but within the extended deadline): Your official filing date shifts to the day you finally verify. Your return will be considered “late,” and you may be liable for penalties under tax laws.

Consequences for Delayed or Missed Verification

If you don’t verify within the 30-day window, you may have to pay a late fee of Rs 5,000 under Section 234F.

Your ITR won’t be processed, and you won’t get any refunds till verification is complete.

Failure to verify means your tax return is treated as invalid, as though you never filed it.

In case of a delay, you can request condonation (special permission) from the Income Tax Department by giving a valid reason, but acceptance is at their discretion.

How to e-Verify Your ITR
You can verify your return easily through any of these methods:

OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile number

EVC (Electronic Verification Code) from your linked bank account

EVC from your linked demat account

EVC generated at the ATM (offline)

Net banking facility

Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)

Alternatively, you can send a signed physical copy of your ITR-V by ordinary or speed post to:

Centralised Processing Centre,
Income Tax Department,
Bengaluru - 560500, Karnataka

Processing & Refunds
Processing times have improved significantly. The average return is now processed in around 17 days, compared to over 90 days in earlier years. Still, refunds may get delayed if your return is under additional scrutiny or previous years’ filings are pending review. Check your refund status on the tax portal after e-verification.

Why Fast Verification Matters

Without verification, your return is invalid and won’t be processed.

You will not receive tax refunds.

You may face a penalty or lose the ability to carry forward losses.

Unverified returns can impact loan and visa applications that require proof of tax filing.