How to reset your income tax portal password

If you have forgotten the password for the Income Tax e-filing portal, you can reset it with an OTP sent to the mobile number linked to your Aadhaar. You need only your PAN and that phone. After the reset you log in with the new password and carry on with filing.

Before you start

Keep these ready:

• Your PAN. On the portal, your PAN is your user ID.
• The mobile number linked to your Aadhaar. The OTP goes to it. If you do not have that phone, the portal also offers an e-Filing OTP (to the mobile registered on the portal), an EVC from a pre-validated bank or demat account, a DSC or net banking. It shows only the options switched on for your account under e-Filing Vault Higher Security.
• A new password that you will remember. It must be 8 to 14 characters long and include an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, a number and a special character.

If your PAN is not linked to Aadhaar, or you are not yet registered on the portal, fix that first. To register, click Register on the e-Filing home page, enter your PAN under "Register as a Taxpayer" and follow the steps. To link PAN and Aadhaar, use Link Aadhaar under Quick Links on the home page, enter both numbers and click Validate.

The steps, in outline

1. Open the portal's login page, enter your PAN as the user ID and continue.
2. On the password page, click Forgot Password.
3. Under "Select an Option to Reset Password", choose OTP on mobile number registered with Aadhaar and continue.
4. Choose Generate OTP, tick the declaration and click Generate Aadhaar OTP.
5. Enter the 6-digit OTP and click Verify. The OTP is valid for 15 minutes and you have 3 attempts.
6. Enter the new password under "Set New Password" and "Confirm Password", then click Submit. The portal shows a transaction ID and sends a confirmation to your registered mobile and email.
7. Log in with the new password.

The portal changes its screens from time to time, so the labels may differ slightly.

If the OTP does not arrive

• Wrong number. The code goes to the number registered with Aadhaar, which may be an old one. If you no longer have it, update the number with UIDAI first, or use one of the other reset options above. If you have lost the old number, UIDAI asks you to visit an Aadhaar Seva Kendra or an authorised enrolment and update centre.
• Network or blocking. Check signal and any message-filter app on the phone.
• Too many attempts. Requesting code after code can lock the flow for a while. Wait for the timer, then try once more.
• Expired code. OTPs are short-lived. Enter the latest one.

After the reset

• Log in once on the portal to confirm the new password works.
• If your account has extra security switched on, the portal may ask for another OTP when you log in or when someone fetches your profile.
• Do not share the password with anyone. A person who has it can see your income, TDS and filing history.

Common mistakes

• Resetting for the wrong PAN. A reset changes the real portal password for that PAN, so confirm the PAN before you start. TaxCare checks that a PAN you add is not already on your own account before it sends any OTP, for exactly this reason.
• Typing the password with caps lock on.

Keeping the account safe afterwards

• Choose a password you do not use anywhere else, and store it in a password manager rather than a note on your phone.
• Check that the mobile number and email on the portal are yours. The reset OTP goes to the Aadhaar-linked mobile, so whoever controls that SIM can reset your portal password.
• Look at your filed returns and refund bank account once after a reset, so you notice anything unexpected early.
• If you suspect someone else has used your account, reset the password again and call the e-filing helpdesk on 1800 103 0025.

How TaxCare helps

When you add a PAN in TaxCare, it first checks whether that PAN is registered on the Income Tax portal. If it is, TaxCare sends an OTP to your Aadhaar-linked mobile and, once you confirm it, resets the portal password for you, as you agree to in the consent line on that screen. It then keeps the new portal password in encrypted form so it can fetch your AIS, TIS, Form 26AS or Form 168 on your behalf. If the PAN is not registered yet, TaxCare points you to portal registration first. You can add family members the same way, each with their own OTP.

See also how to file your income tax return online.

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