Solution to Problems in Registering DSC & signing ITR

While Registering Digital Signature Certificate , Uploading of XML File and Signing of XML file on Income Tax E-filing websites we faces various problems. In this article we have listed out such problems which are mainly related to use of digital signature  while registering and while signing the ITR.

Register DSC

Problem Description : I am not able to register my Digital Signature Certificate.

Corrective Action:This occurs due to the following reasons:

• Check if Java Runtime Environment 1.7 or above is installed in your PC.
• If Java Runtime Environment 1.7 or above is installed in your PC and still you are unable to register DSC to e-Filing application, this is because the Java is disabled. GO TO Internet Options –> Advanced –> Settings . Enable the chec-box for ‘Java’.

Problem Description : While trying to e-File Income Tax Return using Digital Signature Certificate, the ‘Select your .pfx file’ or ‘Select with your USB Token’ buttons are not displayed or are not clickable.

Corrective Action:This occurs due to the following reasons:

• Check if Java Runtime Environment 1.7 or above is installed in your PC.
• If Java Runtime Environment 1.7 or above is installed in your PC and still you are unable to register DSC to e-Filing application, this is because the Java is disabled. GO TO Internet Options –> Advanced –> Settings . Enable the check-box for ‘Java’.

Problem Description : An error appears on the screen: The E-mail ID in the Digital Signature Certificate does not match. Please retry.

Corrective Action:The registered e-mail ID in your e-Filing profile is not the same as in your Digital Signature Certificate. In case it is not the same, you can:

• GO TO ‘Profile Settings’ –> ‘Update contact details’ and change the e-mail ID or,
• Get a new Digital Signature certificate from your Certificate Provider which contains the same e-mail ID as mentioned in your profile.

Problem Description : An error appears on the screen: Invalid Digital Signature Certificate. Please contact your Certicate Provider.

Corrective Action:This could be due to the below reasons:

• Digital Signature Certificate is revoked.
• Digital Signature Certificate is not Level 2 or above. Only Level 2 or above Digital Certificates can be registered on e-Filing website.
• Digital Signature Certificate is not created in SHA-1 (Hash algorithm and 1024 bit RSA) or SHA-2 (Hash algorithm and 2048 bit RSA).

In this case, you should contact the Certificate Provider and get your Digital Signature Certificate checked.

Problem Description : An error appears on the screen: Validity of the Digital Signature Certificate has expired. Please update a valid Digital Signature Certificate.

Corrective Action:The validity period of the Digital Signature Certificate has ended. Attain a new Digital Signature Certificate from the Certified Service Providers and then register.

Problem Description : An error appears on the screen: Validity of the Digital Signature Certificate has not commenced. Please contact your Certificate Provider.

Corrective Action:The validity period of the Digital Signature Certiifcate has not yet started. A Digital Certificate cannot be registered if the validity period is yet to begin. You can:

• Register the same Digital Signature Certificate post the ‘Start date’ of the Digital Signature Certificate.
• Contact your Certificate Provider and attain a Certificate with a ‘Start Date’ same or less than the date of registering the DSC with e-Filing website.

Problem Description : An error appears on the screen: Invalid Digital Signature Certificate. The trusted Parent Certificate could not be verified.

Corrective Action:Digital Signature Certificate does not belong to a Trusted Certificate Provider.
In this case, you should contact the Certificate Provider and get your Digital Signature Certificate checked.

Problem Description :An error appears on the screen:The PAN mentioned in the Digital Signature Certificate does not match. Please retry.

Corrective Action:This could occur due to the below reasons:

• The PAN in the Digital Signature Certificate does not match with your registered PAN. You should contact your Certificate Provider and get the PAN in your Digital Signature Certificate checked.
• If you are a Firm/Company/ AOP/BOI/ Legal authority/ Co-operative society, Artificial Juridical Person/ Trust, ensure that the PAN mentioned in the Digital Signature is that of the current Principal contact (Authorized signatory). If your prinicipal contact has changed, ensure that you have updated the PAN details of the new principal contact (under ‘Profile Settings’ –> ‘Update Principal Contact’s details), and the PAN encrypted in DSC matches with PAN of Principal contact.

Problem Description :An error appears on the screen: The Digital Signature Certificate is already registered.

Corrective Action:A Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) cannot be registered by multiple users. This error appears due to the below reasons:

• The DSC you are registering belongs to someone else. Make sure that the DSC you are registering belongs to you and has your PAN and e-mail ID encrypted.
• The only exception to this rule is that an authorized signatory (principal contact) for an organization should register his/her own DSC to e-File for the organization. The same DSC can be used for personal e-Filing too.

Problem Description :I am the Principal contact (authorized signatory) for a Firm/Company/ AOP/BOI/ Legal authority/ Co-operative society, Artificial Juridical Person/ Trust. I am trying to upload Income Tax Return using Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) for the same but I am getting an error message saying “PAN mentioned in Personal/ Verification section is invalid”. What should I do?

Corrective Action:Please ensure that the PAN entered in the Verification section of the Income Tax Return is your (Authorized signatory) PAN and not of the Firm/Company/ AOP/BOI/ Legal authority/ Co-operative society, Artificial Juridical Person/ Trust.
Also, if the Income Tax Return is being digitally signed, the PAN encrypted in the DSC must match with the PAN mentioned in the verification section.

Problem Description : An error appears on the screen: Invalid File format. Please retry.

Corrective Action:The DSC uploaded is not a valid DSC. Please select a valid DSC and upload it.

Still facing issue with the valid DSC/Invalid DSC :

Solution:Contact Helpdesk with the following details. Helpdesk will raise a ticket and will revert with the solution.

• PAN
• Full Name of the Individual/Name of the Company OR BoI OR Local Authority OR Firm OR Trust OR AOP OR AJP
• DoB/DoI

Opt for Higher Security/ LOGIN

Problem Description :An error appears on the screen:You need to register your Digital Signature Certificate before opting for Higher Security. To register, GO TO –> My Profile –> Register Digital Signature Certificate.

Corrective Action:

• For Individual/CA – Please register your DSC by navigating to –> My Profile –> Register Digital Signature Certificate. On registering, you can enable higher security by navigating to –> My Profile –> Opt for Higher Security.
• For Company/BOI/Local Authority/Firm/Trust/AOP/AJP – Please update your Principal Contact details and register your DSC by navigating to –> My Profile –>Update Principal Contact and then My Profile –> Register Digital Signature Certificate. On registering, you can enable higher security by navigating to –> My Profile –> Opt for Higher Security.

Problem Description :I am not able to enable Higher Security.

Corrective Action:To enable higher security, GO TO ‘Profile Settings’ –> ‘Opt for Higher Security’.
If you are not able to enable higher security, it could be because your Digital Signature Certificate is NOT registered with e-Filing web-site. GO TO ‘Profile Settings’ ? ‘Register Digital Signature Certificate’ and register the Certificate first. Once Certificate is registered, enable the option for higher security.

Problem Description :I have enabled higher security. I am uploading my Digital Signature Certificate during LOGIN but I am unable to LOGIN.

Corrective Action:In case you are not able to LOGIN using Digital Signature Certificate, it could be due to the following reasons:

• The Digital Signature Certificate used for LOGIN is not the registered Digital Signature Certificate. Use the same registered Digital Signature Certificate to LOGIN.
• Digital Signature Certificate is Revoked (Invalid). Contact the Certificate Provider in such cases.
• Digital Signature Certificate is not from a Trusted Certificate provider. Contact the Certificate provider in such cases.
• The Digital Signature Certificate’s validity has EXPIRED. In such cases, you can LOGIN with User ID and Password ONLY (Date of Birth/ Incorporation in case of Individuals, Corporates and Chartered Accountants), but your higher security is disabled. To enable it again, attain a fresh valid Digital Signature Certificate and register. To register, GO TO ‘Profile Settings’ ? ‘Register Digital Signature Certificate’. Once Digital Certificate is registered, you can enable higher security.

Problem Description :I have enabled higher security. I am uploading my Digital Signature Certificate during LOGIN but I am getting an error: Invalid Digital Signature Certificate. Please retry.

Corrective Action:This is because the Digital Signature Certificate being used to LOGIN is not the registered Digital Signature Certificate. Use the same Digital Signature Certificate which is registered to LOGIN.

Problem Description :I have enabled higher security. I am uploading my Digital Signature Certificate during LOGIN but I am getting an error: Invalid Digital Signature Certificate. Please contact your Certicate Provider.

Corrective Action:This error occurs if the Digital Signature Certificate registered with e-Filing is Revoked (invalid). Contact the Certificate Provider in such cases.

Problem Description :I have enabled higher security. I am uploading my Digital Signature Certificate during LOGIN but I am getting an error: Invalid Digital Signature Certificate. The trusted parent certificate could not be verified.

Corrective Action:This error occurs if the Digital Signature Certificate registered with e-Filing is not from a Trusted Certificate provider. Contact the Certificate provider in such cases.

Problem Description :I have enabled higher security. I am uploading my Digital Signature Certificate during LOGIN but I am getting an error: Cannot read Certificate Keystrore file <File Name>. The file is either not in PKCS#12 format (.P12 or .PFX) or is corrupted or the password is invalid.

Corrective Action:This error occurs if the Password is not entered properly OR the Digital Signature Certificate is improper. Ensure the password entered is correct. If the problem persists, contact your Certificate provider.

Forgot Password

Problem Description :I have forgotten my password. How can I reset my password?

Corrective Action:Password can be reset by following the below steps:

• Click on the ‘Login here’ option on the homepage.
• Click on ‘Forgot Password’ link.
• Enter your User ID and click ‘Continue’.
• You can choose to reset your password using one of the three options- Answer Secret Question, Upload Digital Signature Certificate (if registered), OR Provide e-Filing Acknowledgment Number and Bank Account Number.
• Provide the required details and Submit.
• On submission, the details entered are validated. On success, the user will be able to enter the new and confirm password and click SUBMIT.
• User will be able to LOGIN with the new password.

Problem Description :What is the secret question and answer I need to provide to reset my password?

Corrective Action:The Secret Question and Answer is the one selected at the time of registration OR if you have changed it on a later date under ‘Profile settings’.
Provide the same secret question and answer to reset the password.

Problem Description :What is Acknowledgment Number under ‘Enter e-Filed Acknowledgment Number and Bank Account Number’?

Corrective Action:The Acknowledgment Number is the 15 digit number generated when an Income Tax Return is e-Filed. To reset the password using this option, you should enter the Acknowledgment Number, select the Assessment Year for which the return is e-Filed and enter the Bank Account Number as provided in the e-Filed Income Tax Return of the selected Assessment Year.

Problem Description :I am trying to upload the Digital Signature Certificate but it displaying an error.

Corrective Action:In case you are not able to upload Digital Signature Certificate, it could be due to the following reasons:

• The Digital Signature Certificate used is not the registered Digital Signature Certificate. Use the same registered Digital Signature Certificate to LOGIN.
• You have not registered your Digital Signature Certificate.
• Digital Signature Certificate is Revoked (Invalid) or Expired. Contact the Certificate Provider in such cases.
• Digital Signature Certificate is not from a Trusted Certificate provider. Contact the Certificate provider in such cases.

Legal Heir

Problem Description :What all document do I need to attach as a ZIP file during registering myself as Legal Heir?

Corrective Action:You need to scan the following documents and ZIP them in a file:

• Copy of the Death Certificate of the deceased person,
• Copy of the PAN card of deceased person,
• Self attested copy of PAN card of the Legal Heir.
• Self attested copy of Legal Heir Certificate

Problem Description :I received an e-mail from Income Tax Department stating that my request for Legal Heir has been accepted and I am assigned as the Legal Heir for the deceased. Can I e-File for the deceased person now?

Corrective Action:Yes.

Problem Description :I am assigned as the Legal Heir for the deceased person. How can I e-File for the deceased person?

Corrective Action:LOGIN using your own User ID, Password and Date of Birth. Once logged in, GO TO ‘e-File’ –> ‘Upload Return’. Select the PAN from the drop-down option as the deceased’s PAN. Fill the remaining details on the page and upload XML. Sign using DSC if available and applicable.

Problem Description :I am trying to upload Income Tax Return for a deceased but I am getting an error message saying “PAN mentioned on Personal/ Verification section is invalid”. What should I do?

Corrective Action:Please ensure that the PAN entered in the Verification section of the Income Tax Return is your (Legal heir) PAN and not of the deceased person. Also, if the Income Tax Return is being digitally signed, the PAN encrypted in the DSC must match with the PAN mentioned in the verification section.

Problem Description :Whose Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) can I use to e-File the deceased’s Income Tax Return?

Corrective Action:You need to use your own valid Digital Signature Certifcate (DSC) which is registered with e-Filing.

Miscellaneous

Problem Description :I am the Principal Contact (authorized signatory) for a Firm/Company/ AOP/BOI/ Legal authority/ Co-operative society, Artificial Juridical Person/ Trust. I am trying to upload Income Tax Return for the same but I am getting an error message saying “PAN mentioned in Personal/ Verification section is invalid”. What should I do?

Corrective Action:Please ensure that the PAN entered in the Verification section of the Income Tax Return is your (Authorized signatory) PAN and not of the Firm/Company/ AOP/BOI/ Legal authority/ Co-operative society, Artificial Juridical Person/ Trust. Also, if the Income Tax Return is being digitally signed, the PAN encrypted in the DSC must match with the PAN mentioned in the verification section.

Problem Description :I am unable to select the date from the calendar provided.

Corrective Action:Open your Internet explorer browser and GO TO Tools –> Internet Options –> Advanced –> Reset Internet Explorer settings, and Click the Reset button.

Problem Description :I am trying to upload the Income Tax Return XML but I am getting an error ‘fake path and can’t read the file’. What should I do?

Corrective Action:Please do the following settings: Internet explorer –> Tools –>Internal Option –> Security –> reset the setting to medium high, close and reopen the Internet Explorer.

OR

Create a folder called ‘fakepath’ in your C drive and store the XML in the folder. On BROWSE, select this file and upload.

Problem Description :I am trying to upload my Income Tax Return but an error is displayed as ‘Please upload a valid XML’.

Corrective Action:This occurs when the file you are trying to upload is not an XML file. Please ensure that you upload the XML (generated from the Excel utility) and not the Excel.

(Updated on 31.07.2014)

Source- Income Tax Department

Also Read- Trouble Shooting Guide for Problems in accessing www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in