You need to file a return or check a notice, but the login screen says your password is wrong. Start at the Income Tax Department's official e-filing portal Official ↗ and identify whether the issue is registration, sign-in, a locked account or password recovery. The steps differ, especially for a company or a TAN user. This guide follows the department's current user manuals and separates login from return verification.
Type www.incometax.gov.in in your browser. Check your personalised Secure Access Message after entering your user ID and before entering the password. Never disclose a portal password, OTP or DSC token PIN to a caller or an adviser.
What do you need to get started?
For an individual taxpayer's new registration, keep an active PAN, a valid mobile number and a valid email address. The department's registration manual Official ↗ lists those as prerequisites. Your PAN is normally your individual login user ID; the portal's login FAQ Official ↗ also says it may be possible to use Aadhaar as user ID when PAN and Aadhaar are linked. An e-filing user with a TAN, such as a tax deductor, uses the TAN as the user ID; a chartered accountant or other portal role has its own specified ID.
Have access to the mobile and email you provide at registration: the portal sends separate OTPs to both. If you are registering a company, read the company section below first; its principal contact and DSC prerequisites are more involved.
Register an individual on the income tax portal
- Visit incometax.gov.in Official ↗ and select Register.
- Choose Register as a Taxpayer, enter the PAN and select Validate. If the portal says the PAN is already registered, use the existing account's login or recovery route.
- Complete the required details exactly as in PAN records: name, date of birth or incorporation, gender where relevant, and residential status. When PAN and Aadhaar are linked, follow any UIDAI validation prompt displayed.
- Add your primary mobile number, email address and address. Enter the two distinct six-digit OTPs sent to your phone and email.
- Review and confirm the details. Set a password and a personalised Secure Access Message, then submit Register. The department's manual Official ↗ specifies an 8–14 character password with upper and lower case letters, a number and a special character.
- Use Proceed to Login after the confirmation. Update the profile when your contact details change so account recovery remains possible.
The registration manual says each registration OTP is valid for 15 minutes and allows three attempts. Use the page's resend option if needed; do not keep entering an expired code. A PAN already registered with the portal does not call for a second account.
Registering a company is different
The Income Tax Department has a separate company registration manual Official ↗. It lists the company's active PAN, the principal contact's PAN already registered on e-filing, and the principal contact's valid DSC registered for that PAN as prerequisites. Enter the company's name, incorporation date, type and CIN, followed by the principal contact's details. The principal contact receives separate mobile and email OTPs. The draft's earlier suggestion to register the DSC only after the company's first login would lead a new company down the wrong path: the portal checks this prerequisite during registration.
For a firm, HUF, TAN account, CA or another role, follow the relevant official registration path rather than reusing the company instructions. A login user ID and the person authorised to sign or verify a return are related but distinct questions.
How to log in with PAN and password
The department's login manual Official ↗ gives the ordinary sequence: select Login, enter your PAN in User ID, select Continue, confirm your Secure Access Message, enter the password, then continue to the dashboard. If the message is unfamiliar, stop and check the website address and account settings instead of entering your password blindly.
The portal offers several conditional routes; they are not all password-free alternatives:
- Aadhaar OTP: The department's login manual shows the user entering PAN and password first, then using an OTP on the Aadhaar-linked mobile as the authentication step when that method applies. PAN-Aadhaar linkage and access to that phone are required. The OTP can also be a method to reset a forgotten password, which is a separate flow.
- Net banking: Eligible individual users may use a supported bank's e-filing link to reach the dashboard without entering the e-filing password. The login FAQ Official ↗ says a validated bank account and its net banking login nomination may be needed. Check that your bank offers the service and that the feature is enabled for your account.
- DSC or bank/demat EVC: These appear as additional authentication choices when relevant, including if e-Filing Vault Higher Security is enabled. A DSC route needs a valid DSC, USB token and the portal's signer utility. Consult the login manual Official ↗ for prerequisites; simply owning a token does not mean every sign-in must use it.
For TAN users, use the TAN rather than an individual's PAN as the user ID. The user manual also lists distinct IDs for CAs, ERIs and external agencies. A company may sign in with its credentials, while its DSC requirements for registration, forms and return verification must be met separately.
Fix a forgotten password or locked account
Forgot the e-filing password
At the portal's Login screen, enter the user ID, choose the password route and select Forgot Password. The official reset manual Official ↗ lists available methods: Aadhaar OTP, e-filing OTP, validated bank or demat account EVC, DSC, and net banking. The options shown depend on your account and any e-Filing Vault settings. Do not assume every option is available to every user.
For e-filing OTP, the manual says separate codes go to the registered primary mobile and email. For Aadhaar OTP, an eligible individual needs a linked PAN and access to the mobile registered with Aadhaar. When resetting through supported net banking, the manual says you enter the e-filing dashboard and use Change Password in the profile. Follow the selected method's prompts to set the new password, and keep the displayed transaction ID.
If you have lost access to both registered contacts, check another recovery method already enabled for your account and the department's help centre Official ↗. Use only current official instructions for any identity documents; do not email PAN copies or other sensitive files to an address copied from an old blog post.
Account locked after wrong passwords
The portal's login FAQ Official ↗ says the account is locked after five unsuccessful attempts. Use Unlock your account, or the FAQ says it automatically unlocks after 30 minutes. Then enter the correct credentials or reset the password. Repeated guesses can start the lock again. If the portal says your PAN account was deactivated, the same FAQ directs you to contact the helpdesk to reactivate it.
Quick fixes for common messages
| What you see | Next useful check |
|---|---|
| PAN already registered | Try Login or Forgot Password for that PAN; do not start another registration. |
| PAN not registered or does not exist | Verify the PAN and registration status; follow the Register flow if it is unregistered. |
| Invalid password | Check keyboard case and old saved passwords; use official Forgot Password if unsure. |
| Account locked | Use Unlock your account or wait for the portal's stated unlock period, then reset if needed. |
| Aadhaar OTP not received | Confirm PAN-Aadhaar linkage and the phone registered with Aadhaar; use another available method if possible. |
| Net banking says access denied | Check the supported bank and whether a validated account has Login through Net Banking enabled in your profile. |
| DSC not detected | Check certificate validity, registered DSC, USB token and the official signer utility. |
| Secure Access Message looks wrong | Stop, verify the exact official domain and use account recovery or support if needed. |
The login FAQ Official ↗ notes that an unlinked PAN may still permit limited portal access; an Aadhaar OTP method specifically depends on the required linkage. Treat these as separate issues. If a problem remains after the official steps, use the helpdesk details shown on the Income Tax Department website and note the error message and time without sharing OTPs.
Protect the account when someone helps you file
An accountant can help prepare and submit forms through the portal's appropriate authorisation process. The department's My CA guide Official ↗ explains adding a CA and assigning forms after the request is accepted. Keep control of your own password, email, mobile and DSC token. Review access when a representative no longer works with you.
Use a saved bookmark for the official portal and check the Secure Access Message. A login is only access to the dashboard; filing a return and verifying it are separate steps. Confirm the return status and acknowledgement after submission rather than assuming that reaching the dashboard completed a filing.
Official references
- Register for e-Filing: taxpayer manual Official ↗
- Register for e-Filing: company manual Official ↗
- Login user manual and supported methods Official ↗
- Login FAQs, including unlock and user IDs Official ↗
- Reset Your Password manual Official ↗
Need help with your e-filing account?
TaxQue can help review the portal error, registration prerequisites and filing process. Contact TaxQue or email info@taxque.in. Keep your OTPs and password private throughout the process.
This guide provides general information as at 5 November 2026. Follow the current instructions shown in your own account and on the Income Tax Department's official portal.
