How many days do I get to e-verify my ITR?
The 30-day window to verify an income tax return after filing, the e-verification methods on the portal, what happens if you miss it, and how the date of a late verification becomes the date of furnishing.
In this guide
You must verify an income tax return within 30 days of filing it. A return you file but do not verify inside that window is treated as never filed, so the filing does not count. You can verify online through Aadhaar OTP, net banking, a bank or demat electronic verification code, or by posting a signed ITR-V to the CPC in Bengaluru. If you verify after 30 days, the date of verification becomes the date the return is furnished, which can make it late.
What is ITR verification?
Verification is the step that tells the department the return is really yours. Filing a return uploads the data; verification confirms you stand behind it. Until a return is verified it is not treated as a valid return, so the department does not process it and no refund is released.
You verify either electronically, through an OTP or an electronic verification code, or physically, by posting a signed ITR-V to the Centralised Processing Centre in Bengaluru. Either way the return is not complete until the verification lands.
How long do I have to verify?
Thirty days from the date of filing. CBDT Notification 5/2022 dated 29 July 2022 cut the earlier 120-day window to 30 days for returns filed on or after 1 August 2022. The clock runs from the date you transmit the return data, not from the due date.
Miss the 30 days and the return is treated as never furnished. That is the single most important consequence to plan around, because it undoes the whole filing.
How can I e-verify my return?
The e-filing portal offers several electronic methods, all of which complete instantly. The fastest for most people is Aadhaar OTP.
| Method | How it works | Speed |
|---|---|---|
| Aadhaar OTP | OTP to the mobile linked with Aadhaar | Instant |
| Net banking | Log in through your bank to the e-filing portal | Instant |
| Bank account EVC | Code from a pre-validated bank account | Instant |
| Demat account EVC | Code from a pre-validated demat account | Instant |
| Post ITR-V | Signed form by post to CPC Bengaluru 560500 | Must arrive within 30 days |
What if I miss the 30-day window?
A return not verified within 30 days is treated as not filed. You would then file again. If the due date has passed, the fresh return is a belated return, and if the belated window has also closed, an updated return may be the only route left.
You can also request condonation of the delay in verification through the portal in genuine cases, but that is a discretion to rely on only when you have a real reason. Verifying on time is the safe path.
Can I still post the ITR-V?
Yes. Posting the signed ITR-V remains valid. Print it, sign in blue ink, and send it by ordinary or speed post to the Centralised Processing Centre, Income Tax Department, Bengaluru 560500, so it arrives inside the 30-day window.
The postal route carries a delivery risk the electronic methods do not, so treat it as the fallback for a person without Aadhaar OTP, net banking, or a pre-validated account.
How do I confirm my ITR is verified?
- Log in to the income tax e-filing portal.
- Open the e-File menu and go to the filed returns for the year.
- Check the status shows the return as verified, not pending verification.
- For a posted ITR-V, wait for the portal to reflect receipt at CPC before assuming it is done.
- Keep the acknowledgement once the return is processed.
Why do returns stay unverified?
- Assuming filing alone completes the process and skipping verification.
- Letting the 30 days lapse and treating a filed-but-unverified return as safe.
- Verifying the original return but forgetting the revised return needs its own verification.
- Posting the ITR-V so late that it does not reach CPC within 30 days.
- Using a mobile number not linked to Aadhaar for the OTP route.
Where are verification rules published?
The 30-day rule sits in CBDT Notification 5/2022, and the verification methods are set out on the income tax e-filing portal. For how the filing deadline itself works, read our ITR filing last date guide and verification last date guide. Complied AI keeps CBDT / Income Tax updates in one feed so you can open the notification behind a change to the verification window.
Practical checks
Common questions
How many days do I get to e-verify my ITR?
Thirty days from the date you file the return, under CBDT Notification 5/2022 dated 29 July 2022. Verify inside that window by any electronic method or by posting the signed ITR-V. A return not verified in 30 days is treated as not filed.
What happens if I do not verify my income tax return?
The return is treated as never filed. Filing without verification does not complete the process, so the department does not process it, no refund is issued, and you are in the same position as a person who did not file at all. You would then have to file again, possibly as a belated or updated return.
Does the verification date matter if I verify late?
Yes. If you verify after 30 days, the date of verification is treated as the date of furnishing the return, per CBDT Notification 5/2022. So a return filed on time but verified late can become a belated return, with the late-filing consequences that follow, including a fee under section 234F of the old Act framework.
What are the ways to e-verify an ITR?
Aadhaar OTP sent to the mobile linked with Aadhaar, an electronic verification code through net banking, a pre-validated bank account, or a pre-validated demat account, and a digital signature certificate where one is used. Each generates the verification instantly on the income tax e-filing portal, so no physical form is posted.
Can I verify my ITR by post instead of online?
Yes. You can print the ITR-V, sign it in blue ink, and send it by ordinary or speed post to the Centralised Processing Centre, Income Tax Department, Bengaluru 560500. It must reach within the 30-day window. Electronic verification is faster and avoids the postal risk, so it is the usual route.
Do I need to verify a revised return separately?
Yes. Each return you file, including a revised return, needs its own verification within 30 days of that filing. Verifying the original return does not verify the revised one, so a revised return left unverified is treated as not filed just like any other.
Is Aadhaar OTP verification instant?
Yes. Aadhaar OTP verification completes on the portal the moment you enter the one-time password sent to the mobile number linked with your Aadhaar. The portal shows the return as verified straight away, so there is nothing further to post or track for that return.
Publication method
How this guide was prepared
This guide is published by the Complied AI research desk. Its source list and stated position were checked against the official records shown below on 14 September 2026.
Automation, including AI, may assist research, drafting and structure. It does not replace the official record or amount to an independent professional review. Read our editorial standards and corrections policy.
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