What is the e-Filing vault? Is it related to e-filing your Income tax returns? Is the e-Filing system a secure system? These questions might bother you if you come across terms like e-Filing vault and e-Proceedings. Fret not, this blog will explain everything about e-Filing fault and you can check out our other blog for information regarding e-Proceedings.
What is the e-Filing Vault?
e-Filing vault is a two-level authentication process which provides extra security to your e-Filing account. It protects your account from misuse and fraudulent activities.
e-Filing Vault limits the access to the e-Filing account by regulating the Login and Reset Password options for the account. This secures the access and prevents any possible misuse of the account. It also safeguards your private information that you might be using to file your income tax returns.
Pre-conditions for availing this facility:
- Your Aadhaar should be linked to your PAN
- You need to be registered as a user in the Income Tax departments e-Filing portal
- Your digital signatures should already be registered
How to enable e-Filing Vault for higher security?
- Visit the Income Tax e-Filing portal of the Income Tax Department of India. To visit the site, click on the link mentioned below:
- Login to your e-Filing account. You can find the login option on the right side of the screen under Registered user. Once you have clicked on Login Here, you will see a screen similar to the one mentioned below:
- Enter all the required details to access your account. Once you have logged in, click on Profile settings option.
- From the profile setting menu, select e-Filing Vault- Higher Security option.
- The above link will display various login options with higher security. The options available will be:
- Login using bank account EVC
- Login using Aadhaar OTP
Before availing this facility, your Aadhaar should be linked to your PAN. To link Aadhaar to your PAN, follow the steps: Login in the e-Filing portal >> My profile >> Link aadhaar
3. Login through Net-banking
To avail this facility, you should have logged in the e-filing portal via net banking at least once.
4. Login using DSC
You can only opt for this option if your digital signatures are already registered with the e-Filing portal. Once your signatures are registered, you can opt for this option to login in your account. You can follow these steps to register your signatures: Login in the e-Filing portal >> Profile settings >> Register Digital Signature Certificate.
5. Login using Demat Account EVC
- At the next step, you can select options to lock your Reset password facility. You can choose from the following options:
- Using Aadhaar OTP
- Upload DSC
- Using Bank account EVC
- Using Demat account EVC
- Proceed further and generate OTP where ever applicable and validate the process.
- Once you are done selecting the options, click on Proceed and then on Confirm.
- Once you are through the process, a success message will be displayed on the screen confirming the added security feature of your e-Filing account.
Points to remember while enabling the e-Filing vault:
- To secure the account, you can choose any option from the list of options displayed on the screen. Once selected, you will be prompted to use the selected option along with User Id and password. The selected option can either be used for login purposes or for validating the ongoing login process.
- You are also asked to select an option for Reset password facility. Once you have selected an option for this facility, only that option will be displayed on the screen to reset the password and all the other options will be disabled.
- Apart from this, you can also reset your password for your e-Filing portal by logging in your Net banking account.
- You can modify your selected options anytime. You can also disable your e-Filing vault by repeating the process and instead of selecting, deselect all the options.
To get more information regarding the same, you can visit the Income Tax e-filing portal or you can call on 18001030025, +91-8046122000, +91-8026500026.
Common FAQs:
What do you by mean e-Filing?
e-Filing stands for filing your returns online using a tax software which has been approved by the Income Tax department of India.
Can somebody access my e-Filing portal if they have my User Id and password?
If you have enabled e-Filing vault- Higher security facility, then someone else cant access your account merely with User Id and password. While activating e-Filing vault, you select several options for logging in and resetting your password which provides dual protection to your account.
Why is it important to keep your e-Filing account secure?
Your e-Filing accounts contain all your personal information like PAN, Aadhaar, bank accounts information, and credit card information. If somebody has access to it, they might misuse the information. So, it is advisable that you do not share your login credentials with anyone and enable e-Filing Vault for higher security.
Is it possible to choose more than one option for higher security of the account?
Yes, it is possible to choose one or more than one options for higher security of your e-Filing account. You can choose any option/options like using digital signatures or net banking for login. You can also link your Aadhaar to generate OTP for validating the process.
Can someone else reset the password for my account?
No, they cant. Once you have used the reset password facility using the higher security methods, nobody can then reset your password even if they know the answer to your security question.
How can I deactivate the e-Filing Vault facility?
To deactivate the e-Filing Vault facility, follow the steps mentioned below:
- Login to your e-Filing portal by visiting the Income Tax e-filing website
- Select e-Filing Vault – higher security option which is available under Profile Settings tab
- Start by deselecting Login through option and click on Proceed
- Once you have clicked Proceed, e-Filing vault facility will be disabled