Service
Got an income tax notice? First, check that it is genuine
Fake tax messages are common, and real notices can be routine. Spend ten minutes on these steps before you pay anyone or click anything.
Check it in three ways
- Use the department's Authenticate Notice service (opens in a new tab).
- Log in yourself by typing the portal address, and look under pending actions or e-proceedings. Do not use a link from the message.
- Check that your PAN, name, year and any Document Identification Number match.
Warning signs: requests for OTPs or passwords, payment to a personal account or by UPI to an individual, threats of immediate arrest, or unfamiliar links.
Then read these five things
- Which Act and section?
- Older years may still fall under the 1961 Act, and later ones under the 2025 Act. Use what the notice cites.
- Which year?
- Often not the current one. You may need old records.
- What is it asking for?
- Information, a correction, or tax.
- By when?
- There is no single period for all notices. The date on your notice controls.
- Is it from a person, or automated?
- An automated intimation may need a different response from a query from an officer.
How serious is it? A rough guide
Our general sorting, based on what notices commonly ask. Your notice may not fit neatly, and section numbers differ under the 2025 Act.
| What you received | Often means | Sensible next step |
|---|---|---|
| Intimation after processing | The department's figures differ from yours, or your return was processed | Compare the figures. Many can be understood with Deepak Mittal's help |
| Defective return notice | Your return has a technical problem | Correct it within the time stated |
| Information mismatch or compliance message | Reported information differs from your return | Respond on the portal, and check the source of the data |
| Request for documents in an assessment | Your return is being examined | Discuss it with Deepak Mittal before replying |
| Notice to reopen a past year, demand, penalty or search-related | Serious, with legal consequences | Act at once, well before the date on the notice |
Who can act for you
Under section 515 of the Income-tax Act, 2025, an authorised representative must be authorised by you in writing, and may be, among others, someone related to or regularly employed by you, a legal practitioner entitled to practise in a civil court, or an "accountant", which means a Chartered Accountant holding a certificate of practice. Some others are also listed, and there are disqualifications. Earlier years may be covered by the older section.
Deepak Mittal can help you gather records and prepare figures for a reply. Representing you before the department is a separate role, limited to the categories above, and AccountOrbit does not take it on.
How responses generally work
- Log in to the e-filing portal yourself, and find the notice.
- Gather the records for that year: return, statements, bank records and supporting bills.
- Prepare a reply that answers each point. Attach only what is relevant.
- Submit through the portal before the date, and keep the acknowledgement.
- If you need more time, ask through the proper route before the date passes. Do not assume it will be granted.
What to avoid
- Ignoring it because it looks automated
- Agreeing to a demand before checking that it is right
- Letting someone reply for you without seeing the reply
- Sharing your login more widely than needed. Change your password afterwards if you have shared it
- Believing anyone who promises to "settle" it. No one can promise an outcome
Where AccountOrbit fits
The department's own Authenticate Notice service (opens in a new tab) confirms whether a notice is genuine. Deepak Mittal can go through the notice with you, match it against your return and records, and help prepare the response and the documents it needs. Representation before the department is limited to the people the law allows, and AccountOrbit does not appear for you. Call +91 82907 28453 to discuss your notice, and say at the start if the date is close.
Sources checked, November 2026
- Income Tax Department portal (opens in a new tab) (official: notice check service seen on home page)
- Income-tax Act, 2025, Gazette copy (opens in a new tab), section 515 (read at source)
- 1 Finance on notices (opens in a new tab), Kanakkupillai on online responses (opens in a new tab) (secondary)