How To Verify Fake Tax Notices

Income Tax department's online tool empowers you to verify any notice or order you receive.
This free service is available to everyone, regardless of whether you're registered on the e-filing portal.

IMAGE: Kindly note the image has been posted only for representational purposes. Photograph: Kind courtesy Terje Sollie/Pexels.com

Ever receive a notice from the Income Tax department and wonder if it's legitimate?

You're not alone. Scammers often try to imitate official communication to steal personal information or money.

But fear not, taxpayers! The Income Tax department offers a user-friendly online tool to help you verify the authenticity of any notice or order you receive in seconds.

The Income Tax department's online tool empowers you to verify any notice or order you receive. This free service is available to everyone, regardless of whether you're registered on the e-filing portal.

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Here's how to use it:

Visit the Income Tax e-filing portal: https://www.incometax.gov.in/iec/foportal/
Under Quick Links, click Authenticate Notice/Order Issued by ITD.
Choose one of two verification methods:
Using PAN: Enter your PAN, document type (notice, order, etc), assessment year, date of issue, and your mobile number (for receiving a one-time password).
Using DIN: Enter the Document Identification Number (DIN) mentioned on the notice and your mobile number for OTP verification.
Enter the received OTP and click Continue.
The tool will instantly confirm if the notice is genuine. If not, you'll know it's safe to disregard it.

Here's a breakdown of the service and how to use it:

What is the Notice Authentication Tool?

This online tool allows you to verify the authenticity of any communication you receive from the Income Tax authorities, including notices, orders, summons, letters, etc.

This helps ensure the communication is genuine and not a phishing attempt.

Who can use the tool?

Anyone can use this tool, regardless of whether they are registered users on the Income Tax e-filing portal. It's a pre-login service, accessible to everyone.

How to authenticate a notice:

There are two ways to verify a notice:

Using PAN, Document Type, Date of Issue, and Mobile Number:

Visit the Income Tax e-filing portal: https://www.incometax.gov.in/iec/foportal/.
Click on Authenticate Notice/Order Issued by ITD under the Quick Links section on the homepage.
Enter your PAN (Permanent Account Number).
Select the type of document (notice, order, etc).
Choose the assessment year for which the notice was issued.
Enter the date the notice was issued.
Provide your mobile number (a one-time password will be sent to this number).
Enter the received OTP (One-Time Password) and click Continue.
If the information matches a genuine notice from the Income Tax department, you'll receive a confirmation message. If not, it will indicate the notice is invalid.

Using Document Identification Number (DIN) and Mobile Number:

Follow steps 1 and 2 mentioned above.
Instead of PAN details, enter the Document Identification Number (DIN) mentioned on the notice.
Provide your mobile number for OTP verification.

Benefits of using the tool:

Peace of mind: Knowing a notice is legitimate before taking any action.

Prevents scams: Helps avoid falling victim to phishing attempts that mimic official communication.

Convenience: Easy-to-use online tool accessible to everyone.

Remember:

The tool verifies the authenticity of the communication, not its content.

If you have any questions regarding the notice itself, it's advisable to consult a tax professional.

Another way to check the authenticity of notice sent by the tax department is to cross check the email ID from where it is sent.

The tax department sends all its communications from its official ID which ends with incometax.gov.in such as intimations@cpc.incometax.gov.in.