July end, the deadline to file your tax return, will be here sooner than you think. It’s best not to wait till the eleventh hour, since a last minute rush could cause errors and increase the work load later. Note that if your taxable income last year exceeded ₹5 lakh, you have no choice but to file the tax return electronically.

E-filing of tax returns, as this is known, can also be done by those with annual taxable income below ₹5 lakh if you choose to; else, you can continue with the physical tax filing.

Now, you may have chosen to do your filing through your tax consultant, and paid a tidy fee for this service to boot. That’s not a bad idea if your income sources are extensive or your tax computation details are complicated. But the e-filing process is quite straightforward and you could also do it yourself, especially if your income and tax details are not complex.

Filing guide You’re also spoilt for choice when it comes to websites that offer e-filing services. Narrowing down which one to use depends on how comfortable you are with calculations and, of course, how much you’re willing to spend.

If you are comfortable with your tax calculations, you can directly e-file your returns with the Income Tax Department through the website https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/.

This will save you money since the service is free of charge. Just keep your papers handy, log onto the website, and follow the detailed steps mentioned there. What you file through this route is known only to you and the tax department.

But if you are not comfortable e-filing on your own, there are many tax-filing websites, known as e-return intermediaries which will handhold you through the process, usually for a fee.

Portals such as taxsmile.com, taxspanner.com, cleartax.in, myitreturn.com, and easyitfiling.com provide various e-filing services.

Many modes These range from screen-based help to do the filing yourself, to just uploading Form 16, with the portal taking care of the rest. Most of these portals also offer various value-added services. The higher the service and package level, the higher the charge. For instance, on taxsmile.com , you can opt for a do-it-yourself mode (where interactive question-answer screens guide you in the calculation and filing process) or the do-it-for-me mode (where you just upload your Form 16 and the website prepares your tax calculation which you need to review and then file).

Do-it-yourself on taxsmile.com will cost you ₹250 when you are ready to file (free for those with income up to ₹5 lakh), while do-it-for me entails a charge of ₹500.

Besides these, the website offers services such as tax credit verification, ITR-V submission (which all e-filers except those having digital signatures must do), refund tracking, a document-storage vault and tax history for charges from ₹100-300.

Cleartax.in offers self e-filing (free of charge) with online tutorials, and also CA-assisted e-filing for different combinations of income sources (charges vary from ₹499 to ₹1,500). For women and senior citizens, the portal offers its e-filing services free of charge. It also has a gold service (₹2,100 a year), which provides tax planning along with tax filing.

Taxspanner.com offers a do-it-yourself tax filing service (₹449) and a CA-assisted service (₹699) for salaried taxpayers. It also has filing services for those with investment income along with salaries (₹749 in the do-it-yourself mode and ₹1,249 in the assisted mode), and other categories of taxpayers too.

Besides, it has full-year packages to help minimise the tax outgo, and also packages which entail follow-ups with the tax department and tax solutions for foreign income. Charges vary from ₹550 to ₹4,499. If you decide to file your return through an e-return intermediary, check whether it has has adequate safeguards to keep your personal information secure and confidential. Says Rakesh Nangia of Nangia & Company, a CA firm, “It is advisable to check that the online portal is an authorised e-return intermediary. The tax department authorises these portals and prescribes a number of features necessary for compliance.”

Where e-filing scores E-filing scores over physical filing of tax returns on several fronts. For one, it gives you the convenience and flexibility of filing your returns anytime, anywhere. So, no worries if you are out of town on work or are able to attend to your personal finance matters only on holidays or late in the evening, when the tax offices are usually closed.

All you need is an internet connection and, of course, the necessary papers such as Form 16 (TDS on salary), Form 16A (TDS on other income such as interest) and Form 26AS (tax credit statement) to help you file returns. Second, unlike physical returns, where there is a risk of your personal details being known to many in the tax filing chain, e-filing is far safer and keeps your information confidential. Processing of refunds is also much faster when you e-file tax returns. Finally, if you choose intermediaries to e-file, they store your records in electronic form, which you can access anytime.

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