New Delhi, July 24 -- Filing an Income Tax Return (ITR) before the deadline is important, but many taxpayers overlook the equally important step of e-verification. However, filing the return alone does not complete the tax filing process. Unless the return is verified within the prescribed time under the Income-tax Act, it may be treated as an invalid return, effectively as if it was never filed.

The Income Tax Department processes returns only after successful verification. This means refunds, tax computations and any subsequent communication from the department can be delayed if the verification is not completed.

The e-filing portal allows taxpayers to verify their returns online through multiple methods, eliminating the need to send ...