Unable to Complete Your Income Tax Filing? Troubleshooting and Support Guide

If you are unable to complete your Income Tax Return on myITreturn, the issue may relate to incomplete information, document errors, Income Tax Department portal availability, browser settings, or pending actions such as tax payment or e-verification.

This guide explains the common reasons why an ITR filing may get stuck and the steps you can take to resolve the issue.

 

1. Unable to Proceed to Submission

You may have completed most of your return but still be unable to proceed to the final submission stage. This usually happens when some required information or action is incomplete.

Check for Missing Mandatory Information

Review each section of your return and confirm that all mandatory fields have been completed. Depending on your income sources and the applicable ITR form, this may include:

• Personal and contact details;
• Residential status;
• Employment or business details;
• Income details;
• Deduction details;
• Bank account information;
• Tax payment details;
• Tax regime selection;
• Verification details; and
• Information required in specific ITR schedules.

Review PAN and Aadhaar Details

Confirm that your PAN, name, date of birth, and other personal details are correct.

A mismatch between the information available in your myITreturn account and the Income Tax Department records may result in validation or submission issues.

Where applicable, also check whether:

• Your PAN is valid and active;
• Aadhaar is linked with PAN;
• Your name and date of birth match the government records; and
• The correct PAN has been used for filing.

Read the detailed PAN and Aadhaar troubleshooting article

Confirm the Tax Regime Selection

Your return may require you to confirm the applicable tax regime before submission.

Review the tax regime selected in the return and confirm that it is appropriate for the relevant financial year and your income type.

Certain taxpayers, particularly those having business or professional income, may be required to complete additional declarations or forms when changing the tax regime.

If the tax regime selection is incomplete or inconsistent with the information entered in the return, the filing process may not proceed.

Check Whether All Applicable Schedules Are Complete

An ITR contains different schedules for reporting specific types of income, deductions, assets, liabilities, and tax payments.

Additional schedules may become applicable where you have:

• Capital gains;
• More than one house property;
• Business or professional income;
• Foreign assets or foreign income;
• Income from virtual digital assets;
• Carried-forward losses;
• Exempt income;
• Donations;
• Tax relief claims; or
• Income taxable at special rates.

Verify Bank Account Details

At least one eligible bank account may need to be selected for receiving an income-tax refund, where applicable.

Check that the following details are correct:

• Bank account number;
• IFSC;
• Bank name;
• Account type;
• Account holder details; and
• Refund account selection.

Where bank account validation is required, ensure that the account is active and linked with the taxpayer’s PAN.

Check Whether Tax Is Payable

Review the final tax computation before submitting the return.

If tax is payable, you may need to pay the amount before filing. After payment, enter or confirm the challan details in the return.

Check the following details carefully:

• BSR code;
• Challan serial number;
• Date of payment;
• Amount paid;
• Assessment year; and
• Tax payment category.

An incorrect assessment year or missing challan entry may cause the system to continue showing tax as payable.

Review the Final Confirmation

Before submission, confirm that:

• Income details are complete;
• Deductions are correctly claimed;
• TDS and tax payments are reflected;
• Bank details are correct;
• Tax payable is cleared or understood;
• Validation issues have been resolved; and
• The return summary is accurate.

2. Income Tax Department Portal Errors

Some filing problems may occur because the Income Tax Department portal is temporarily unavailable, slow, or unable to process a request.

Submission Failed

If the return submission fails:

1. Note the error message displayed on the screen.
2. Take a screenshot of the error.
3. Check whether your internet connection is stable.
4. Refresh the page and try again.
5. Log out and sign in again.
6. Confirm that all validation issues have been resolved.
7. Try submitting the return again after some time.

Portal Temporarily Unavailable

The Income Tax Department portal may experience temporary downtime, high traffic, or maintenance-related interruptions.

Common symptoms include:

• Page not loading;
• Session expiring repeatedly;
• Submission request timing out;
• OTP not being generated;
• Verification page not opening;
• Acknowledgement not downloading; or
• Status not updating.

Where the problem appears to be temporary, wait for some time and retry the action.

OTP Not Received

An OTP may be required for login, verification, or submission-related actions.

If you do not receive the OTP:

• Confirm that the registered mobile number and email address are accessible;
• Check the spam or junk folder;
• Ensure that the mobile network is available;
• Wait briefly before requesting another OTP;
• Avoid generating multiple OTPs in quick succession; and
• Use only the most recently generated OTP.

An OTP is time-sensitive and may expire if it is not entered within the permitted period.

E-Verification Issue

Filing the return and verifying the return are separate stages.

If the return has been submitted but not verified, it may remain pending.

Depending on the options available, verification may be completed through methods such as:

• Aadhaar OTP;
• Electronic Verification Code;
• Net banking;
• Bank account;
• Demat account;
• Digital Signature Certificate; or
• Physical ITR-V.

If one verification method is not working, check whether another permitted method is available.

Read the detailed e-verification article

Return Submitted but Status Not Updated

After submission, the filing status may not update immediately.

Before filing again, check whether:

• An acknowledgement number was generated;
• An ITR-V or acknowledgement can be downloaded;
• The return appears under filed returns;
• A confirmation email or SMS was received; and
• The transaction history shows a successful submission.

Government Portal and myITreturn Status Difference

In some cases, the status shown on myITreturn and the Income Tax Department portal may temporarily differ because of data synchronisation or processing delays.

Check the acknowledgement number and filing status on the Income Tax Department portal before attempting another submission.

3. Document or Data Problems

Incorrect, incomplete, or unsupported documents can prevent the return from being prepared correctly.

Form 16 Upload Issue

If Form 16 is not uploading or the information is not being extracted correctly:

• Confirm that the uploaded file is the correct Form 16;
• Use a clear and complete PDF;
• Check whether the file is password-protected;
• Ensure that all pages are included;
• Confirm that the employer and employee PAN details are visible;
• Avoid uploading scans or screenshots; and
• Check whether multiple Form 16 documents need to be added separately.

After uploading Form 16, review the extracted information. Do not assume that every field has been captured correctly.

Compare the uploaded data with:

• Salary details;
• Exempt allowances;
• Standard deduction;
• Professional tax;
• Chapter VI-A deductions;
• TDS deducted; and
• Employer TAN.

Capital Gains Statement Not Accepted

A capital gains statement may fail to upload because of an unsupported format, missing columns, password protection, or incomplete transaction data.

Before uploading, check whether the statement contains:

• Name of the broker or platform;
• Security name;
• ISIN, where available;
• Purchase date;
• Sale date;
• Purchase value;
• Sale value;
• Quantity;
• Charges or expenses;
• Short-term or long-term classification; and
• Transaction details for corporate actions, where applicable.

Where multiple brokers or investment platforms were used, upload or enter data from each source.

AIS or Prefilled Data Mismatch

The Annual Information Statement, Taxpayer Information Summary, Form 26AS, and prefilled ITR data may not always match your own records.

A mismatch may occur because:

• A deductor reported an incorrect amount;
• TDS was reported under the wrong PAN;
• Income was reported more than once;
• A transaction was reported but later reversed;
• Information relates to a joint account;
• Sale proceeds were reported instead of taxable gains;
• Data was updated after the prefill was generated; or
• A transaction belongs to a different financial year.

Compare the information with:

• Form 16;
• Form 16A;
• Bank statements;
• Interest certificates;
• Broker statements;
• Mutual fund statements;
• Property documents;
• Tax payment challans; and
• Your accounting records.

Missing TDS Information

If TDS is not visible, check whether:

• The deductor has filed the TDS return;
• The deductor used the correct PAN;
• The relevant quarter has been processed;
• The amount appears in Form 26AS;
• The income has been reported under the correct head; and
• The TDS entry has been added to the return.

A TDS certificate by itself may not always be sufficient if the deductor has not correctly reported the transaction.

Contact the deductor where the PAN, amount, or TDS details are incorrect.

Duplicate Income or Tax Entries

Income may be duplicated when information is entered manually after it has already been imported through Form 16, AIS, prefill, or another document.

Review the income summary and check whether the same salary, interest, dividend, rent, or capital gain has been entered more than once.

Similarly, verify that TDS and tax payments have not been duplicated.

Password-Protected or Corrupted Documents

Password-protected, damaged, or unusually formatted files may not upload correctly.

Try the following:

1. Open the file on your device.
2. Confirm that all pages are readable.
3. Remove the password only if it can be done securely.
4. Save a fresh copy of the file.
5. Upload the new copy.
6. Use the supported file type and size.

4. Technical Troubleshooting

A browser, device, or internet-related issue may interrupt the filing process even when the tax information is correct.

Refresh the Page

Save the information entered before refreshing the page.

After refreshing, check whether the data remains available and whether the error continues.

Log Out and Sign In Again

An expired or inactive session may cause buttons to stop working or pages to load incorrectly.

Log out securely, close the browser, and sign in again.

Clear Browser Cache and Cookies

Old browser data may prevent the latest version of a page from loading.

Clear the cache and cookies for myITreturn, restart the browser, and sign in again.

Use an Updated Browser

Use the latest stable version of a commonly supported browser.

An outdated browser may cause:

• Buttons not responding;
• Pages appearing incorrectly;
• Upload failures;
• Captcha problems;
• Pop-up windows not opening; or
• Submission errors.

Try Private or Incognito Mode

Private or incognito mode can help identify whether stored browser data or an extension is causing the issue.

Open a private browser window, sign in to myITreturn, and retry the action.

Disable Browser Extensions

Ad blockers, script blockers, password managers, privacy tools, and security extensions may interfere with the filing process.

Temporarily disable unnecessary extensions and try again. Re-enable the extensions after completing the filing activity.

Allow Pop-Ups and Redirects

Some filing, payment, or verification actions may open in a new tab or window.

Ensure that pop-ups and redirects are allowed for myITreturn and the Income Tax Department portal.

Check the Internet Connection

Use a stable internet connection, particularly while:

• Uploading documents;
• Making tax payments;
• Submitting the return;
• Generating an OTP; or
• Completing e-verification.

Try Another Device

If the issue continues, try using another desktop or laptop.

For detailed return preparation and document uploads, a desktop browser may provide a better experience than a mobile browser.

Rename the Uploaded File

File names containing special characters may sometimes cause upload problems.

Rename the file using a simple format, such as:

Avoid very long file names and unnecessary symbols.

Check the File Size and Format

Confirm that the document:

• Uses a supported file format;
• Is within the permitted file-size limit;
• Is not empty;
• Opens correctly; and
• Does not contain damaged pages.

Avoid Multiple Active Sessions

Do not keep the same myITreturn account open in multiple browsers or devices while editing the return.

5. Get Tax Expert Assistance

If you are still unable to complete the filing, you may request assistance from the myITreturn team.

Choose Assisted Filing

Assisted Filing may be suitable where:

• You are unsure which ITR form applies;
• You have multiple income sources;
• Capital gains need to be reviewed;
• Business or professional income is involved;
• Foreign income or assets need to be reported;
• Losses need to be set off or carried forward;
• AIS data does not match your records;
• Tax notices or previous return issues require review; or
• You want a tax expert to prepare and review the return.

If you are not satisfied with the assigned expert, you may request a change of tax expert, subject to the applicable service process.

Common Questions

Before Contacting Support: Final Checklist

Before raising a support request, confirm that you have:

 

 

For Assisted Service, please WhatsApp us on +91-9320546101 or raise a support ticket here .