Correct Procedure for eFiling of TDS/TCS statements on Income Tax eFiling website from May 2016

On 4th May 2016 Income tax department suddenly released a Notification No.6/2016 informing the Tax Deductors or Collectors that TDS/TCS returns will have to be filed at Income Tax department's eFiling website. However TIN FC (Facilitation Centres) will continue to accept TDS/TCS returns as before. 

More details can be found at: http://caclub.in/e-tds-returns-filing-at-e-filing-website-from-1st-may-2016/

In other words it was to be inferred that NSDL's website will no longer allow filing of TDS/TDS returns from May 2016! So, those who were registered on NSDL site were suddenly left high and dry and had to rush to Income Tax department's eFiling website for registration. And how many days did they have to do it? Just 11 days!

And what was the procedure? The notification said visit the Tax Deductor portion of eFiling website and register there. And if any one tries to register he is lost because proper procedure is not mentioned any where.

So, lot of tax people cancelled their plan for Sunday (15th May) holiday and mentally prepared themselves to spend it on this crucial activity.

Any way, don't worry. I have found it the hard way and I'm spending time to write-it down here so that those reach this blog will find it easy.

Here are the steps:

1. Visit TRACES website and login using your usual TAN credentials. We found that many a times during login 'Verification Code' field was not displaying at all - making login to Traces impossible!



2. On left hand side you will see "Register at E-Filing Site". Click on it.


3. Click on 'Redirect'. Upon successful redirect you would be taken to Income Tax department's eFiling site. I found that this happened only upon many unsuccessful attempts of 'Redirect'.



4. You are asked to enter Mobile number of the Authorised Person and Email id. Please note Email id field does not accept Email id with dash/hyphen "-" e.g., abc@pq-india.com! Any way, upon successful submission Income tax department sends an Email with subject "e-Filing Registration Activation Link". You are required to click on the activation link given within the body of the Email.

5. Upon successful activation you are taken to the eFiling site for first time login. There you are required to fill in TAN, PAN and PIN received on the Mobile. This PIN is sent as a SMS to the mobile number of the Authorised Person. Once verified you are required to fill in various details like Strong Password, Two Secret questions (for recovery in case you forgot username / password etc), Address (prefilled), two mobile numbers, two Email ids, land-line numbers and so on.

This part if fairly easy except that creation of password became tricky because it requires minimum 8 letters - one small, one Capital and one special character. Of course, website does not tell which characters are special - possibly "?" is not a special character! I found after lot of unsuccessful attempts.

Once registered, you would expect smooth sailing. But, no! It can't be so easy for Indians. Be prepared for a rough ride.

6. Login once again. Now first thing you need to do is to register your DSC (Digital Signature Certificate) of the Authorised Person. For that you need to download a utility called 'DSC Utility' or 'DSC Management Utility'. Click on 'Profile Setting' and select 'Register Digital Signature Certificate'.



Link is given to download the java jar file. To run it requires Java version 1.7 onwards. It works with latest Java 1.8 and also with Windows 8.1 without any problem. Also download the user manual - though it is not much useful - as usual!

7. Now insert the USB Token in the PC and run the "DSC_MGMT_UTILITY.jar" by double clicking. Select 'Register/Reset Password using DSC". Fill in TAN number and PAN number of Authorised Person. Select USB token. Insert USB Token in PC. Select Authorised Person's name from the USB Token.

You will be asked PIN of the USB Token. Click on 'Generate' Upon successful transaction it will generate a Signature File. You will have to store it on the PC.

Go to the screen shown at 6 (above) and browse this Signature file. Upon successful registration you will get a transaction number and an Email.

8. Now, try to upload the TDS return using TDS->Upload TDS option.

Select Financial Year, FVU Version(!), Type of Return, Quarter and Original / Revised. Upon clicking 'Validate' you will asked to browse FVU file in Zipped format.

Note that FVU file is to be created using latest RPU 1.5 - which creates FVU version 5! (more on numbering confusion created by NSDL some other time). RPU generates file in FVU format but you are required to store it in a 'zip' file using built-in utility of Windows. Right Click on FVU file and click on 'Send to' - select 'Compressed (zipped) Folder'.

Once again you will have to generate Signature file using 'DSC Utility'!!

9. Goto the PC and run the "DSC_MGMT_UTILITY.jar" by double clicking. This time select Tab with name "Bulk Upload". Select FVU zip file. Enter TAN and PAN number. Select USB Token and select name of the Authorised Person. Enter USB Token PIN and click on 'Generate Signature File'. It will generate a file with extension 'Signature' - save it on the PC. Go to eFiling site and select this file and click on 'Submit' to file the TDS return. If you have taken lot of time to do all this steps then you will be logged out. Login once again and start over with Step-8 and submit. Upon successful submission you will see Token Number (provisional) and you will get a Email with subject "Confirmation on upload of e-Filing TDS return"

Phew! Life is difficult in India!

Let me know if you found this useful.