Income Tax Portal Not Working? 7 Fixes That Actually Work

This is the complaint that floods social media every July and September.

• Wrong password or user ID
• Aadhaar not linked with PAN
• Account locked after too many failed attempts
• Browser cache acting up
• Servers overwhelmed during peak hours

Reset your password. Click "Forgot Password" on the login page, pick your method (OTP on mobile or email, Aadhaar OTP, bank EVC, or demat EVC), and set a new one. Your password needs to be 8-14 characters with uppercase, lowercase, a number, and a special character.

If you don't want to bother with passwords, try logging in with Aadhaar OTP instead. It only works if your PAN is linked to Aadhaar.

Still stuck? Clear your browser cache. Better yet, open an incognito window and try from there. Half the time that's all it takes.

Also, use a proper browser. Recent versions of Chrome, Firefox and Edge work fine. Safari on Mac gives a lot of people trouble. Switch if you need to.

If your account is locked, wait about 30 minutes — it usually resets on its own. You can also click "Unlock Your Account" on the login page to get back in immediately. Nothing works? Call the helpdesk on 1800-103-0025.

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You hit "Generate OTP" and... nothing. Or it shows up ten minutes later, already expired.

• Your mobile number isn't linked to Aadhaar
• UIDAI servers are slow (happens more than you'd think)
• Your browser is blocking pop-ups
• You've used up your attempts — you get 3 tries to enter the OTP, so click resend for a fresh one rather than guessing

First, check which mobile number is linked to your Aadhaar at myaadhaar.uidai.gov.in. If your number has changed, visit an Aadhaar enrolment centre to update it. There is no shortcut here.

If mobile OTP isn't coming through, try email OTP instead. Sometimes one works when the other doesn't. Check your spam folder if you go the email route.

Wait at least two minutes before hitting resend. Turn off ad-blockers too — the portal uses pop-ups for the OTP window, and if your browser blocks them, the OTP screen never shows up.

And try a different browser. If Chrome isn't working, try Edge. If Edge doesn't work, try Firefox. This simple switch fixes the problem more often than you'd expect.

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You open your ITR expecting the numbers to be there. Instead, blank boxes everywhere.

• Your employer or bank hasn't uploaded data yet
• Form 26AS is still being processed
• Your AIS hasn't updated
• You picked the wrong ITR form

Check Form 26AS first. Log in, go to "My Account" and then "Form 26AS". If your employer filed TDS late, the data won't show up instantly.

Then check your AIS (Annual Information Statement) under "Services". If your salary, interest, dividends or property transactions are missing there, they won't auto-populate in your ITR.

Give it time. Most data starts appearing by mid-June, but if you're filing in May or early June, expect some gaps. Meanwhile, enter the missing bits manually — keep your Form 16, bank statements and investment proofs handy.

One more thing: double-check that you've selected the right ITR form. ITR-1 is for resident salaried folks with income up to ₹50 lakh. ITR-2 covers capital gains, foreign assets, or anyone who doesn't qualify for ITR-1. Pick the wrong form and half the sections stay blank.

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You've filled everything, calculated the tax, and now the payment page refuses to cooperate.

• Payment server is overloaded
• Your bank's server is down
• Wrong challan or wrong year selected
• Using an old challan format for the new tax year

Big change for 2026: the Income-tax Act, 2025 replaced the Income-tax Act, 1961 from April 1, 2026, and new challan forms went live for Tax Year 2026-27. Old challans only work for dues up to FY 2025-26. Make sure you're on the right one. (Source: Income Tax Department — new forms and challans under the Income-tax Act, 2025, effective 1 April 2026)

The portal has a single e-Pay Tax interface for both Acts. Pick the correct year, choose your payment type (Self Assessment Tax, Advance Tax, and so on), and proceed.

If net banking fails, try UPI. If UPI fails, try debit card. Different banks have different uptime on different days — keep switching till something goes through.

Try early morning or late evening. Between 10 AM and 6 PM, everyone and their uncle is trying to pay. Server load is real.

And if a payment fails, don't hammer the button. Wait 15-20 minutes, clear your cache, and try again. Multiple failed attempts can trigger a temporary block.

These are rough field observations from filing-season experience, not official statistics:

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"503 Service Unavailable" pops up halfway through your filing. Frustrating, but usually fixable.

• Too many people on the site at once
• Scheduled maintenance
• A random technical glitch
• Your own internet connection dropping

Check the portal homepage first. The "Latest Updates" section shows scheduled maintenance windows — sometimes they post a notice and we all miss it.

File during off-peak hours. Server load peaks between 10 AM and 6 PM on weekdays. Early morning, late evening or weekends are much smoother. The portal is open 24/7, so use that.

Here's a tip most people miss: download the offline utility. If the online form keeps crashing, fill the Excel or JSON version of your ITR offline and upload it later. It's faster and there are fewer errors. (Source: Income Tax Department offline utilities help — incometax.gov.in)

If you hit a 503, wait 15-20 minutes. Most fix themselves as server load drops. Refreshing every five seconds just makes things worse.

Also check your internet. A flaky connection can trigger timeout errors that look like portal problems. Switch to a wired connection if you can.

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File early. The chaos concentrates in the last two weeks before any deadline. The on-time window for AY 2026-27 closed on September 15, 2026 (extended by CBDT from July 31); the belated window runs to December 31, 2026. Don't be the person filing on December 30.

Keep your papers ready. Form 16, bank statements, AIS, Form 26AS, investment proofs. Nothing worse than opening the portal and realising you don't have the numbers.

Link PAN with Aadhaar. An unlinked PAN becomes inoperative — you can't file returns or do much of anything until it's fixed. Linking is still open on payment of the ₹1,000 late fee under Section 234H, paid through e-Pay Tax. (Source: Income Tax Department PAN-Aadhaar linking FAQ)

Enable JavaScript and pop-ups. The portal needs both. Check your browser settings before you start.

Use only the official site. That is incometax.gov.in. There are fakes out there. The department never contacts you through pop-ups or WhatsApp. If something feels off, it probably is.

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The portal is genuinely better than it was a few years back. But when lakhs of people try to do the same thing at the same time, stuff breaks.

Start early. Keep documents handy. Don't panic when something goes wrong — there's usually a simple fix you can try right away.

If nothing works, call 1800-103-0025 or 1800-419-0025 (Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 8 PM; Saturday, 9 AM to 6 PM). The Income Tax Department contact page on incometax.gov.in lists current helpdesk hours and numbers.

Need help picking the right ITR form? Our ITR filing changes guide covers it. Want to file offline? The department's offline utility manual is on incometax.gov.in under Help.

Before you file, run the numbers both ways. The income tax calculator shows what each option costs you with your own salary, deductions and exemptions.

This is for educational purposes only. Talk to a qualified Chartered Accountant for advice specific to your situation.