How to file your ITR on your phone

Yes, you can file your income tax return entirely from a phone. Keep your PAN, Form 16 and bank details ready, bring in your tax statements, check the computation, submit, and e-verify with an Aadhaar OTP, all on the same screen. A phone is enough as long as you can read OTPs from the right mobile number.

TaxCare is a mobile-first web app, and is also available as an app for Android and iPhone.

What to keep ready

Before you start, gather:

• Your PAN and the mobile number linked to your Aadhaar.
• Form 16 from your employer (a PDF is fine), if you are salaried.
• Details of bank accounts, with the one in which you want your refund.
• Proofs for deductions if you will use the old regime: insurance premium receipts, loan certificates, donation receipts.
• Statements for any shares or mutual funds you sold.

Your AIS, TIS and Form 26AS (for tax years up to 2025-26) or Form 168 (from 2026-27) can be brought in from the portal. You do not have to download them one by one.

Step by step

1. Connect your PAN

Enter your PAN and confirm with an OTP. This lets the app read your statements from the Income Tax portal, with your permission. If you have never registered on the portal, see our guide on how to register on the income tax e-filing portal.

2. Review what the department already knows

Your salary, TDS, interest, dividends and any share sales reported against your PAN appear in your AIS and Form 26AS or Form 168. Look at them before you enter anything. Our guide on the AIS explains each part.

3. Let the form be chosen for you

The right form depends on your income. A salaried person with simple income usually files ITR-1. Capital gains beyond a small limit or more than one house means ITR-2. See our guide on which ITR form to file.

4. Compare the two regimes

The old and new tax regimes can give different tax. See the numbers side by side before you choose. Our guide on the old vs new regime shows how. If you want to try your own figures first, use the income tax calculator at /tools/income-tax-calculator.

5. Check every number

On a small screen it is easy to mis-tap. Slow down on these:

• Salary and TDS, against your Form 16.
• Interest from each bank, against your AIS.
• The bank account for your refund, including the last digits.
• Your regime choice.

6. Submit, then e-verify

After you approve the return, e-verify it within 30 days. Aadhaar OTP is the quickest method. Until you verify, the return is not treated as filed.

Tips for filing on a phone

• Use a secure network. Avoid open Wi-Fi when entering PAN, Aadhaar-linked OTPs or bank details.
• Never share an OTP. The department, your bank and TaxCare do not ask for it over a call or message.
• Keep the OTP number handy. The OTP goes to the number linked to the Aadhaar, so check you can receive SMS on that SIM.
• Allow notifications. After filing, reminders help you e-verify on time. TaxCare reminds you the day after filing, and again when 7, 2 and 1 days are left.
• Save the acknowledgement. Keep a screenshot or the PDF in a safe folder, not only in a chat.
• Take your time. Autosave keeps your progress if the screen locks or the call comes in, but check your figures before you submit.

When a phone is not the best tool

Some situations are easier with help:

• Foreign assets or foreign income. TaxCare hands these cases to a Tax Expert.
• Directors, unlisted shares, deferred ESOP tax. These cases also go to a Tax Expert.
• Large or complicated capital gains. Many lots of shares or property sales take care to reconcile.

You can hand over a return to a Tax Expert from the same screen, with your documents.

After you file

Once verified, the department processes the return and sends an intimation. A refund goes to your validated bank account. See our guide on refund status and delays. If you spot a mistake, a revised return can fix it within the allowed window.

How TaxCare helps

TaxCare is built for the phone: it autosaves as you go, brings in your statements after an OTP, picks the form from your data, calculates both regimes and takes you straight to e-verification. It never submits without your approval. You can add family members and prepare their returns from your account, and call on a Tax Expert when your case needs one. See the pricing page for charges.

This guide gives general information and is not professional tax advice.