The Income Tax (IT) department introduced a functionality that allows the taxpayers to discard their previously filed but unverified Income Tax Returns (ITR). The facility is available for AY24 onwards.
What is 'Discard ITR'?
According to Income Tax website, a user can avail the option of “Discard” for the ITRs being filed u/s 139(1) /139(4) / 139(5) if they do not want to verify it. User is provided a facility to file an ITR afresh after discarding the previous unverified ITR.
However, if the “ITR filed u/s 139(1)” is Discarded and the subsequent return is filed after the due date u/s 139(1), it would attract implications of belated return like 234F etc., Thus, it is advised to check whether the due date for filing the return u/s 139(1) is available or not before discarding any previously filed return.
Where To Discard ITR?
Here are the steps to discard the ITR
Go to the website: www.incometax.gov.in
Enter your login details
Go to e-File and then Income Tax Return
e-Verify ITR
Click on Discard
It should be noted that if an ITR is discarded once, it can’t be reversed which means if an ITR is discarded, it means that, such ITR is not filed at all.
Any person who has uploaded the return data earlier, but has made use of the facility to discard such unverified return is expected to file subsequent an ITR later on, as it is expected that he is liable to file the return of income by way of his earlier action.