After filing Income Tax Return (ITR), if you receive any email, SMS or notice in the name of Income Tax Department, then it can be costly to respond to it without checking it. Nowadays, cyber thugs are trying to defraud people of banking information, OTP and money by sending fake notices in the name of Income Tax Department. In such a situation, before taking action on any notice, it is very important to ensure that it has actually been issued by the Income Tax Department.
First of all check DIN number
Every valid notice, order or letter issued by the Income Tax Department has a Document Identification Number (DIN). This is a unique number, through which the authenticity of the notice can be confirmed. If a notice is missing a DIN or looks suspicious, investigate it first rather than reacting immediately.
Taxpayers can verify the authenticity of the notice with the help of DIN or PAN by visiting the e-filing portal of the Income Tax Department. In many cases, login is not even required for this. After OTP verification, it is known whether the notice is genuine or fake.
Identify fake notices with these signs
According to experts, if any email or notice is pressurizing you to make immediate payment, threatening arrest or legal action, or asking you to click on any suspicious link, then be cautious.
Similarly, if you are asked to make payment through UPI, gift card or any personal bank account, then this can also be a sign of cyber fraud. The Income Tax Department never demands deposit or payment of tax through such means.
Also see email sender address
The official email IDs of Income Tax Department usually come from @incometax.gov.in domain. If the email is sent from another domain or suspicious address, avoid opening it or clicking on the links contained in it. Also check any attachment before downloading it.
What to do after receiving the notice?
If you receive an income tax notice, there is no need to panic. First of all, check its authenticity on the e-filing portal of the Income Tax Department. If the notice is correct, respond to it within the prescribed time limit. At the same time, if the notice seems suspicious then do not share any personal information, do not make payment and avoid clicking on any link.
If necessary, consult a Chartered Accountant (CA) or a tax expert. A little caution can save you from financial loss and serious cyber fraud like identity theft. Therefore, instead of accepting every notice that comes in the name of the Income Tax Department as correct, the safest way is to first check its authenticity.
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