Received a tax notice? Upload it here
Send us the notice as it came — PDF, photo or screenshot — and we tell you the same working day what it means, the deadline, and what to do. No charge for the first read.
What the notice usually is
Nine out of ten notices we see fall into one of these. Open the one that matches the section number on yours.
section 270 (143(1) of the 1961 Act) intimation — demand or refund adjustment
The return has been processed and the computer disagrees with a figure — a mismatch with Form 26AS or AIS, a disallowed deduction, or an arithmetic difference. Reply through 'Respond to intimation' within 30 days, or pay the demand if it is right. Ignoring it turns into a demand with interest.
section 263 (139(9) of the 1961 Act) defective return
Something in the return is inconsistent — income shown but no balance sheet, a wrong ITR form, tax paid but not claimed. You have 15 days to fix it through the portal; if the deadline passes, the return is treated as never filed.
section 268 (142(1) of the 1961 Act) — call for information or a return
The officer wants documents or a return before assessment: bank statements, loan confirmations, the source of a large deposit. The reply must be complete and on time; non-compliance carries a penalty of ₹10,000 per default and can lead to a best-judgement assessment.
section 270 (143(2)) scrutiny
The return has been selected for detailed examination, usually on a specific point (high-value transactions, refund claims, foreign assets). Hearings are faceless; replies go through the portal with documents. The assessment order follows within the time limit.
148 / section 281 (148A of the 1961 Act) — reassessment
The department believes income has escaped assessment, often from AIS data, property transactions or crypto trades. Under section 281 (148A) you first get a show-cause with the information relied on and a chance to reply before any reopening. The reply at this stage decides whether the case is dropped.
245 — adjustment of refund against old demand
Your refund is being set off against a demand from an earlier year. If that demand is wrong or already paid, you must disagree on the portal within the window, with proof, or the refund is gone.
TDS defaults — TRACES intimation, 200A
Short deduction, late deposit or a PAN error in a TDS return. Correction statements and payment of interest fix most of these; leaving them open blocks lower-deduction certificates and Form 16 generation.
GST — ASMT-10, DRC-01, DRC-01A, REG-17
Scrutiny of returns (ASMT-10), show-cause for tax not paid or ITC wrongly claimed (DRC-01A, DRC-01), or a proposed cancellation of registration (REG-17). Replies are in fixed forms with tight deadlines — 30 days for ASMT-10, 7 working days for REG-17 — and the numbers must reconcile GSTR-1, 3B, 2B and the books.
Crypto and foreign-asset notices
Notices citing exchange data under section 393 (194S of the 1961 Act), FIU-IND reports or undisclosed foreign accounts under the Black Money Act. These carry the highest penalties and need a reply that reconciles every trade or account before anything is admitted. See our note on responding to crypto notices.
What happens after you upload
- 1
We read it the same day
A partner reads the notice, checks the section, the deadline and the portal status against your PAN or GSTIN, and messages you a plain summary of what is being asked and what it will take.
- 2
You decide
If it is a one-line fix — a 143(1) mismatch, a defective return — we quote a fixed fee. For scrutiny, reassessment or GST show-cause we set out the work, the documents needed and the timeline before anything starts.
- 3
We reply on the portal
Every submission is drafted, reviewed and filed by us with the documents attached, and you get a copy of what was filed and the acknowledgement. Hearings are attended through the faceless portal.
Questions people ask when a notice arrives
Is the notice genuine?
Every income tax notice carries a Document Identification Number (DIN) that can be verified on the e-filing portal under 'Authenticate notice'; GST notices appear under 'View notices and orders' on the GST portal. A notice by WhatsApp or email without a DIN, or asking for payment to a personal account, is fraud — send it to us before responding.
What if the deadline has passed?
Most portals still accept a late reply, and an adjournment request is often granted once; the risk is an order passed without hearing you. Upload it today and tell us the date on the notice — late is far better than never.
I live in the UAE — can you handle it without me coming to India?
Yes. Replies are filed on the portal from our office; you sign nothing physically. We need portal access as your authorised representative or your login, and the documents by email or WhatsApp.
What does a reply cost?
The first read is free. Simple responses start at a fixed fee we quote in writing before we begin; scrutiny and reassessment matters are quoted after we have seen the notice and the return.
Prefer to talk first?
Call or WhatsApp us with the section number on the notice and we will tell you on the spot how serious it is.