Why is the Income Tax Department's Website Currently Out of Service?

The website of the Income Tax Department of the Government of India has been experiencing issues since the 7th of June, leading to significant difficulties in filing tax returns for the fiscal year 2020-21. This outage has caused considerable inconvenience, especially for taxpayers who need to file their IT returns by the 30th of September.

Issues Encountered When Visiting the Website

During the period it is down, the website presents several challenges:

No data of previous filings Lack of immediate access to current year tax filing data Inconsistent session management; logging out after login without user action for security reasons Slow loading time, taking 5-10 minutes to open the site

Users have reported various issues, including:

The lack of previous filing data makes it difficult to verify and correct past submissions. Inability to access current year tax filing data, which is essential for preparing the return. Automated logout during the filing process, which often requires the user to start over from the beginning. The long wait time while the site loads further complicates the filing process, especially for those who have slow internet connections.

What is Known About the Outage?

The current website outage is due to planned updates to the new website that is set to launch on June 8th. This planned downtime is expected to last for 6 days, from June 7th to June 12th. Taxpayers are advised to take the necessary measures to ensure they can file their returns in a timely manner.

Steps to Take Until the Outage Ends

In the meantime, taxpayers can take the following steps:

Prepare their tax returns offline before the website becomes functional. This ensures that they have a seamless experience when filing online. Use reliable offline tax preparation software to fill in their returns and cross-check all data. Stay informed about the progress of the website updates and be prepared to file as soon as the site is operational.

Patiently Waiting for the Website to Be Fixed

Until the website returns to normal operation, taxpayers should remain patient. While many are understandably concerned about the impact on their tax filings, it is important to remember that the website will eventually be fixed. The website will be operational again within a month or two, providing a smoother filing process for the 2020-21 tax returns.

Disclaimer

It is important to note that this information is not intended as legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you need legal advice, please contact an attorney directly. This information is provided as a general guide and cannot be relied upon for specific legal or tax advice. Readers are encouraged to consult with a professional tax advisor or attorney to ensure compliance with their specific tax obligations.