Overview
Income-tax notices arrive for mundane reasons — mismatches between your return and AIS/26AS, high-value transactions, non-filing, or a reopening under Section 148 — and each has a strict reply window on the e-proceedings portal. Ignoring one converts a query into a best-judgment assessment with tax, interest and penalty computed against you. Answered properly — reconciliation, documents, and legal grounds where the notice itself is defective (beyond limitation, without jurisdiction, mechanical approval) — the large majority close without demand. We handle the replies, faceless assessment proceedings, and the penalty defence that follows a bad outcome.
Key Provisions — Income-tax Act, 1961
- Section 143(1) intimations and 143(2) scrutiny run on portal timelines; non-response leads to Section 144 best-judgment assessment.
- Section 148/148A reopenings have tight preconditions — prior notice, sanction, and limitation — that defective notices routinely fail.
- Faceless assessment replies are documents-only: the written submission IS the hearing.
- Penalty (270A) and prosecution provisions have their own defences — reasonable cause, full disclosure, bona fide claims.
What You Can Get
How We Handle It
Notice Decode
What section, what trigger, what deadline — and whether the notice itself is legally sound.
Reconciliation
AIS/26AS/bank data matched to your return; the gap explained with documents.
Portal Submission
A precise written reply on e-proceedings — the submission that decides faceless matters.
Assessment & Beyond
Order reviewed; rectification, appeal, or penalty defence as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
I got a notice for a year I barely remember — the deadline is next week. What now?
Seek adjournment on the portal immediately (usually granted once), then reconstruct: AIS, bank statements, and broker records rebuild most years. What you must not do is let the date lapse silently.
The notice is about a property sale where I actually made a loss — why am I being taxed?
The department sees the gross sale value from registrar data, not your cost. A reply computing capital gains with purchase documents typically closes exactly this notice.
Legal Connect connects you with independent tax advocates; we are not a law firm and this page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Notice deadlines are short — call +91 22 6555 3444 early.