Is Submission of Physical Copy a Must when Returns are filed Online

[Srivatsan Krishnamachari]

 

Dear Gentlemen,

We are a large Tax payer Unit and hence have been filing  monthly returns online on or before 10th of the succeding month. The Department officials insist for submission of Physical Copies of the Returns too. My Query is once it becomes mandatory on an LTU for filing E-Returns; is it a must that a Physical copy also to be submitted.

Please enlighten with your clarification.

Regards,

K.Srivatsan

AI Summary

Taxpayer Queries Need for Physical Copies with Mandatory E-Filing; No Legal Requirement Found, Convenience Cited A large taxpayer unit, which files monthly returns online, questioned the necessity of submitting physical copies despite e-filing being mandatory. The responses indicated that there is no legal requirement to submit physical copies if returns are filed online. One respondent noted that officials might request physical copies for their convenience, but it is not obligatory. Another mentioned that according to a specific trade notice, hard copies are unnecessary, suggesting that requests for them might be for practical reasons. Overall, while not legally required, submitting physical copies may facilitate smoother interactions with tax authorities.