How to Secure Your Income Tax Returns E-Filing Account

The Income Tax department’s e-filing website allows you to manage all your tax related matters. This includes filing income tax returns online, checking the status of IT refund claims and electronically verifying your IT returns. Therefore, your IT department’s website contains a lot of sensitive financial information that you may want to protect. Your IT department provides certain options to enhance the security of your account, and you can use these options to protect your account. The first step obviously involves using a more secure password and avoiding using one that you have used elsewhere, once you have done this, follow the steps below to increase the security of your income tax return e-filing account.

1. Go to the “Higher Security” page of the Income Tax Electronic Filing website. You can find it below Profile settings Tab > Electronic Filing Vault – Higher Security.
2. Now you will see two headers – Sign in using higher security options Lets you add an extra layer of security when logging in Lock reset password option This prevents password changes without an additional layer of authentication.
3. below Sign in using higher security optionsselect the options you want to enable. we chose Log in via online banking for this tutorial. You can also choose Login using Aadhaar OTP, Log in using DSC (digital signature certificate), Log in using bank account EVC (electronic verification code), and Login using Demat EVC.
4. After checking this option, click continue.
5. Now you will see a pop-up window describing the security method. Click OK.
6. You will be returned to the page in step 3. click continue again.
7. The next page will ask you to confirm your authentication method. Click confirm.

This will enable an additional authentication step for your account. The next time you log in, you will be asked to use a second authentication factor after entering your income tax e-filing credentials. For net banking based login, you need to visit the bank’s net banking portal and find the income tax e-filing option. When you select the option labeled “Electronically File Income Tax Return,” you will be able to access your e-filing account. This step varies depending on the authentication method you choose. The DSC method seems to be the most secure as it allows you to create a USB token to log in. Detailed instructions on how to use it can be found on the IT department’s help page > how > How to register for DSC.

How to lock password reset on income tax e-filing website

It’s easy to reset a locked password on your IT department’s e-Filing website. Please follow the steps below.

1. Go to the “Higher Security” page of the Income Tax Electronic Filing website.
2. scroll down to Lock reset password option.
3. Password reset via Online Banking is always enabled. However, you can prevent the reset through other methods, such as Using Aadhaar OTP, Upload DSC, Use bank account EVCand Use Demat EVC. we tried Using Aadhaar OTP for this tutorial. Check the option you want to select and click continue.
4. The next step is just a confirmation window that pops up. click here Generate Aadhaar OTP.
5. The website will then ask you to enter the OTP. Enter it and click Confirm.
6. Click on next step confirm.

This will enable lock password reset without additional authentication. Next time you try to reset your IT e-Filing account password, you will be asked to enter Aadhaar OTP, or use another authentication method of your choice.

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