New Delhi, July 29 -- The 31 July income tax return (ITR) filing deadline is fast approaching, but filing the return alone does not complete the process. An ITR becomes valid only after e-verification, which triggers its processing by the Income Tax Department. Once e-verified, taxpayers can monitor the status of their return on the e-filing portal. Although simple returns are generally processed within 45 days, every ITR undergoes multiple validation and risk checks before it is either accepted, adjusted or flagged for further scrutiny. Here's a look at how the ITR processing mechanism works:

The Centralized Processing Centre (CPC) in Bangalore first verifies that you've used the correct ITR form, filled in all mandatory schedules, and ...