New Delhi, May 14 -- The Income-Tax department can send notices either before or after you file returns in cases it deems necessary - such as a mismatch or discrepancies in your I-T returns (ITR) filing. Notably, receiving an I-T notice does not automatically mean a taxpayer is in trouble as the communication could be aimed at alerting you about mistakes in the documentation.

Generally, an I-T notice is official communication from the tax department regarding unreported income, mismatch or discrepancies in your filing, non-filing of returns, verification of claims, missing information or overdue filing, and demand for outstanding income tax among other reasons.

Below are the various types of I-T notices that may be sent:

Form 26AS (For...