Guide to e-file the Income Tax Returns - verifying using EVC, the Electronic Verification Code

Indians who file Income Tax Returns online would know that the filing process involved two steps -

e-Filing the returns
Posting the ITR-V form to CPC, Bengaluru by Post

Everyone including Income Tax department wanted to get rid of the second step due to multiple reasons, the prime one being tax payers missing out the sending part! Multiple modes were being talked about and finally this year it has materialized. This year onward, taxpayers who e-file the returns need not send ITR-V by post but are required to electronically verify the returns using an EVC (Electronic Verification Code).

EVC Generation Modes

Aadhaar Based OTP

This mode is applicable for those who have completed the Aadhaar - PAN linking in the Income Tax e-Filing website. Unfortunately this linking process fails for many Indians who use initials for last name or have abbreviated middle names in Aadhaar card. The linking system uses name as one item for verification and with a mismatch in names in PAN and Aadhaar the process fails. I brought it to the notice of Income Tax Department and later complained at PG Portal but a resolution is still far away! :(

Had raised the PAN - #Aadhaar linking issue at PG Portal. Closed with Partial resolution, in < 48 hrs @invest_mutual pic.twitter.com/K8cf0oSCS0
— Chethan S (@gischethans) July 16, 2015

There is also an additional field to add Aadhaar number in the IT Return forms this year. This however does not link PAN and Aadhaar.

Internet Banking EVC

I had to use this mode of e-Filing since the Aadhaar linking failed. The process is simple and straight forward. You need to login to internet banking platform of your bank (list of supported banks) and click the e-Filing link there which takes you to IT Department's e-Filing website.

Select the appropriate form to e-file, ITR-1 and 4S are available online. For other forms you will have to use either Java or Excel utility which can be downloaded from the website.

After you complete filling all the details based on your Form-16, hit submit. Since you would be logged in through internet banking, on clicking e-Verify, the return gets verified and an acknowledgement is displayed. This is also sent to registered email ID.

For already e-Filed Returns

If you file your returns through a third party service provider or have filed before the EVC process was notified you can generate an EVC to verify the return.

EVC Generation Steps

The Difference

Till Last Year

This Year Onward

SSL VPN: Configuring and Using Forticlient on Ubuntu, creating a Launcher

Is your primary OS at home Linux and do you use Windows only to connect to your work PC over VPN or to attend meetings? Do you often wish to connect to your work VPN from a Linux PC? If your answer is 'Yes' to the above questions, I have an answer if your workplace uses Fortinet SSL VPN. Note that it's possible to connect to Fortinet and other VPNs like Cisco VPN from Linux through the inbuilt network manager by installing additional tools but this post would focus on using the standard Forticlient for accessing the resources on your work network. Obtaining Forticlient The most important thing to note w.r.t. using Forticlient for Ubuntu (or any Linux distro) is to note that the client is not publicly available for download from the official website. You will have to ask your IT department to download the client for you, in case they haven't provided it.

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