As the tax filing season approaches, taxpayers have multiple avenues to choose from when filing their income tax returns (ITR). The Income Tax Department provides a straightforward option through its e-filing website for individuals to file their returns independently. Taxpayers also have the option to seek professional assistance from a chartered accountant. Moreover, third-party online platforms, such as Clear, previously ClearTax, Tax2Win, TaxBuddy, Quicko, myITReturn, etc., also offer ITR filing services.
While using the income tax department's e-filing portal is free, those opting for chartered accountant services or online tax filing websites will have to pay for their assistance. Therefore, taxpayers may want to explore the fees associated with various popular tax-filing portals before choosing. Selecting the most suitable portal can make the ITR filing process smooth and efficient for both individuals and businesses.
Let's find out the charges on five well-known tax portals:
ITR Filing Charges
| Clear | Salaried Individual Basic- Rs 1499, Salaried Individuals Pro- Rs 1999, Capital gains- Rs 3599, |
|---|---|
| EZTax | Free Self Service ITR Filing- Rs 0, Expert Assisted Easy- Rs 799, Expert Assisted Medium- Rs 999, Expert Assisted Complex- Rs 2,999 |
| Taxspanner | File Tax (Assisted)- Rs 799, Foreign Income Solution: Rs 5,999, File And Save Tax (CA Assisted)- Rs 1,499, |
| Tax2Win | For Salaried Employees- Rs 249-649, Computerised Assistance (CA) Assisted (Income From Salary, House Property, And Other Sources: Rs 849-1,149. |
| TaxBuddy | Income From Salary, House Property, And Income From Other Sources: Rs 799, Capital Gains: Rs 2,399, Future And Options Plan: Rs 3,999, Crypto Currency Plan: Rs 5,999, NRI/Resident Having Foreign Income: Rs 5,999.
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Source: Respective Websites
Earlier, many of these websites provided ITR-1 and ITR-4 filing facilities without expert help for free. However, they have now changed their approach and imposed a fee for ITR filing, regardless of whether users opt for assistance. Therefore, it is crucial for individuals to carefully review the charges levied by these third-party websites before proceeding with their ITR filing.
Verify The Plan You Are Purchasing: Before finalising a plan with a third-party website for income tax filing, it is essential to examine the services they offer thoroughly.
It's crucial to note that these charges apply regardless of whether an individual has additional sources of income or not. This means that even if you don't have a salary or interest income and your sole income comes from VDA, you might still have to bear significant expenses for availing of their services. Therefore, carefully evaluate the plans and charges of these websites to make an informed decision that suits your specific income scenario.
Look Out For Discounts: Several third-party websites are currently providing discounts for ITR filing services. Therefore, it is advisable to verify one's eligibility for any potential discounts when using a third-party platform to file their income tax return (ITR). For instance, EZTax and Clear offer discounts on various ITR filing plans. Similarly, Clear is offering a 50 per cent discount on all their expert-assisted ITR filing and other plans.
