How to log in to the income tax e-filing portal

A free, step-by-step guide · Last checked: 26 Oct 2026

The Income Tax Department's e-filing portal is incometax.gov.in. Everything there, from filing a return to checking a refund, starts with logging in. You need to be registered on the portal, and you need your User ID (for most people, the PAN) and your password.

Steps

Open the e-filing portal. Type incometax.gov.in into your browser yourself, rather than clicking a link in a message or an ad. Check that the address ends in incometax.gov.in. The login page itself is on eportal.incometax.gov.in, which is part of the same official site.
Select Login on the home page. On a wide window it is at the top right; in a narrow window or on a phone, it may be inside the menu.
Type your User ID. Under Enter your User ID there is one box, marked PAN/ Aadhaar/ Other User ID. Type one of these:
- your PAN (an individual's usual User ID);
- your Aadhaar number, if you are an individual;
- another user ID, if you have one (for example a CA's ARCA ID or a TAN).
Then select Continue.
Check the secure access message. The portal shows the secure access message you set when you registered. Make sure it is yours: it is how you know you are on the real site. Confirm it, type your password and select Continue.
You're in. The portal opens your Dashboard.

Other ways to log in

Aadhaar OTP: the portal's help describes logging in with an OTP sent to the mobile number registered with your Aadhaar, instead of the password. You agree to validate your Aadhaar details, then type the 6-digit OTP and select Login.
Net banking: the Login page lists Net Banking under Other ways to access your account. You pick your bank, log in to your bank's net banking, and open the e-filing link there. Your PAN must be linked to that bank account.
Some people also use a digital signature certificate (DSC) or a bank or demat account EVC; those need the portal's higher security options to be set up first.

If something goes wrong

"PAN is inoperative" pop-up: this appears when your PAN isn't linked with your Aadhaar. You can choose Link Now to link them, or Continue to carry on for now.
Forgot your password: type your User ID and select Continue as above, then choose Forgot Password on the next page. You can reset it with an OTP on the mobile number registered with Aadhaar (if your PAN is linked with Aadhaar), with an e-filing OTP, with net banking, or with the other options you have set up.
The secure access message isn't yours: stop, don't type your password, and close the page. Open the portal again by typing incometax.gov.in yourself.

Stay safe

Never share your OTP or password with anyone, even someone who calls or messages saying they are from the tax department or your bank, or offering a refund.
Use only the official site, ending in incometax.gov.in. Lookalike sites copy its look, so check the address.
Type your User ID, password and OTP yourself. Nobody else needs them to help you.

Pocko is not part of the Income Tax Department and this guide is not official. Screens change; if a step looks different, follow what the official site shows, or check the portal's own help.

Sources

Last checked: 26 Oct 2026

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