How to use new offline utility for Filing ITR Forms | AY 2021-22

As we know that Income Tax Return Forms [ITR Forms] 1 and 4 have been made available by CBDT.

All the Income Tax Return Forms [ITR Forms] have been notified by CBDT.

Taxpayers who are eligible to file Income Tax Return Forms [ITR Forms] 1 and 4 and do not have TDS Deduction can file their Returns.

Below are steps to Download and install Offline Utility and fill the same

Step by Step Guide – Download & Install Offline Utility ITR -1 and 4

Step 1

Once you access the e-filing portal . You can download the Utility under:

Downloads -> Offline Utilities -> Income Tax Return Preparation Utilities.

What are the System Requirements?

• OS -Windows 7 or later are supported
• Processor -Intel Pentium 4 processor or later that’s SSE2 capable or AMD K10 or above core architecture
• RAM -1.5 GB of RAM or more
• HDD -500 MB or more of free space

Step 2

On click of link for the Utility presented against ITR-1 or ITR-4, a ZIP file will start getting downloaded on your system.

Open the Utility from the extracted folder.

Step 3

After you Extract the downloaded utility as a ZIP file, open the Utility from the extracted folder. In case, you receive this message, you click the “Run Anyway” option in the dialogue box.

Step 4

Once you click on “Run Anyway”, your utility will start installing, after which you can proceed with filing your ITR.

Step 5

As soon as you install the utility, you will be landed on Homepage.

Click on “Continue” to fill your Income Income-tax Return for AY 2021-22.

Few things to know before you start using the Utility

• This Offline Utility is enabled only for ITR-1 and ITR-4. Other ITRs will be added to the utility in subsequent releases.
• The Utility is based on the new technology “JSON”.
• It is enabled to import and pre pre-fill the data from the e-filing portal. You can fill the balance data. You can also edit the profile data other than PAN data in the utility, however, it is suggested to edit the same in your Profile at e e-filing website and regenerate prefill data.
• Facility to upload ITR at the e e-filing portal is not enabled. You can fill and save it either within the utility or export output json file to your system.
• Once filing is enabled, you can upload the same at e -filing portal

Below add add-ons will be enabled in subsequent releases:

• PrePre-fill data related to tax payments.
• Upload of ITR
• Questionnaire-based functionality to help you identify which ITR is applicable to you.
• Payment of taxes through this utility
• Facility to verify and upload ITR through the utility itself.

Step 6

You will find 3 tabs:-

• Returns: – If you are filing the return for the first time, click on “File returns” in this tab.
• A draft version of returns: – If you have already started to file your return, you can see the draft version of your returns in this tab and click on “edit”.
• Pre-filled Data: – It will show you all prepare-filled ITR data you had earlier imported into the utility.

Step 7

After click on “File returns”, select the radio button to “Import pre-filled data”.

On click of this option, the prefilled data already saved by you on your system in .json format can be imported to prefill the information in the income tax return.

Step 8

Enter the “PAN” for whom you want to fill the return and select the “Assessment year” and click on “Proceed”.

Assessment Year 2021-22 can only be selected.

Step 9

How to Download Pre-filled JSON?

Pre-filled JSON can be downloaded post login to the e-Filing portal from:

My Account -> Download Pre Pre-Filled for AY 2021-22 and can be imported to the utility for prefilling the personal and other available details.

Attach the pre pre-filled JSON file from your system and click on “proceed”.

Step 10

On click of Proceed in the earlier screen, you will be navigated to Income Tax Returns screen, where you can see the Basic pre-filled details from the imported JSON file.

Click on “File Return” to continue.

Step 11

Select the Status applicable to you and click on Continue.

The status will be pre-filled based on your last year’s data and will be editable.

Step 12

Select the ITR type which you want to file from the dropdown and “Proceed”.

A user-friendly questionnaire to identify ITR applicable to you will be available in a subsequent releases of the offline utility.

Step 13

Click on “Let’s get started” to start filling your return.

Step 14

Fill the applicable and mandatory fields of the ITR form -> Validate all the tabs of the ITR form and Tax will be calculated.

Step 15

After confirming all the schedules, you can Preview and submit your Return.

Step 16

You can either “Download” or “Print” the preview by clicking on the respective buttons.

You can download the Preview on your system.

It will be downloaded in pdf format.

Step 17

Click on “Proceed to validation”, to validate the Return.

Step 18

All the errors needs to be validated by the user after that he can “Download JSON”.

Just click on the error, you will be navigated to the field related to that error.

Notes

• Data will be refreshed on a Real-time basis.
• Tax will be calculated on a Real-time basis.
• Data will be Auto Saved.
• The downloaded JSON file can be generated and saved on the system for uploading it on the e e-filing portal (post enablement of the