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Reply to income-tax scrutiny notice format (notice under 143(2) or 142(1))

A point by point reply to an income-tax scrutiny notice or questionnaire: reference details with section, notice number, DIN and year, return details, preliminary submissions, a reply to each query with annexures, request for the material relied on and a hearing, prayer, verification and enclosures.

What it is for

Use it when your return is selected for scrutiny and you receive a notice or questionnaire, usually on the income-tax e-filing portal. Copy the Act, the section, the notice number, the DIN and the year exactly as printed: a notice may be under the Income-tax Act, 2025 or, for earlier years, the Income-tax Act, 1961. Reply through e-proceedings before the last date and keep the acknowledgement.

Who signs

The assessee signs, or for a firm, company or other body, the partner, director or principal officer who may sign the return. A CA or advocate may prepare it and file it with your authorisation.

Licences that need this format

Attach these

  • The notice and any questionnaire
  • Return of income and its acknowledgement, computation of income
  • Audited accounts and audit report, if any
  • Bank statements, ledgers, bills and other documents for each query

Fill it in, then download

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Where will you sign this?
The state and city change the laws and offices named in your document and in How to execute.
Assessment years up to 2026-27 are under the Income-tax Act, 1961. Tax years from 2026-27 are under the Income-tax Act, 2025, which calls the year a tax year.
Queries in the notice or questionnaire (one row for each, in order)
Annexures (documents you attach, in order)
Printing

Ready-to-use template based on current law. For property sale, partnership or high-value agreements, get it checked by an advocate before signing.

Last reviewed: 30 Oct 2026

Preview. Blanks you have not filled in are highlighted in yellow on screen, and print as plain lines.

REPLY TO NOTICE IN SCRUTINY ASSESSMENT

(Notice under Section ________ of the ________ (Section ________ of the Income-tax Act, 1961), ________ ________)

________

PAN: ________

________

________

Date: ________
Place: ________

To,
________,
________

Subject: Reply to the notice under Section ________ of the ________ No. ________ dated ________, ________ ________, PAN ________

REFERENCE DETAILS

Name of the assessee: ________
PAN: ________
Status: ________
Year of the notice (________): ________
Proceeding before: ________
Notice: under Section ________ of the ________ (Section ________ of the Income-tax Act, 1961), No. ________ dated ________, served on ________
DIN of the notice: ________
Return of income filed on ________, acknowledgement No. ________, returned income ________
Last date for reply stated in the notice: ________

Sir or Madam,

________ refer to the notice mentioned above, by which the return of income for the ________ ________ has been selected for scrutiny and information has been called for. The reply is set out below and is filed ________, together with the documents listed in the enclosures.

A. PRELIMINARY SUBMISSIONS

1. That the assessee is ________, and filed the return of income for the ________ ________ on the ________ (acknowledgement No. ________), declaring a total income of ________, and the books of account for that year were audited and the audit report was filed.

2. That this reply is filed within the time allowed, as extended to the ________ by ________. The last date stated in the notice was the ________.That the last date for reply stated in the notice was the ________, extended to the ________ by ________, and this reply is filed after that date. ________ respectfully request that the delay be condoned, for the following reason: ________. The delay is not deliberate, and ________ request that this reply be taken on record and considered on merits.

3. That the notice was served on the ________, which is after the expiry of three months from the end of the financial year in which the return was furnished (the return was furnished on the ________). The notice is therefore barred by limitation under the proviso to Section 143(2) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, and the assessee objects to its validity and to every proceeding based on it. This reply is filed without prejudice to that objection.

4. That the notice bears the Document Identification Number ________, which is quoted in this reply.That the notice does not bear a Document Identification Number. CBDT Circular No. 19/2019 dated 14 August 2019 directs that a communication of the Income-tax Department which does not bear a computer generated Document Identification Number, and is not covered by the exceptions in that circular, shall be treated as invalid and shall be deemed never to have been issued. ________ therefore request that the validity of the notice be examined first. This reply is filed without prejudice to that objection.

5. That this reply is filed without prejudice to any further submission, document or ground that ________ may place on record, and it should be read together with the enclosures. Nothing in this reply is an admission of any liability.

6. That the information below is based on the books of account, bank statements and the documents enclosed, and ________ shall produce the originals whenever required.

B. POINT WISE REPLY TO THE QUERIES

7. That ________ reply to each query, in the order in which it appears in the notice or the questionnaire, is as follows:

C. SUBMISSIONS

8. That the income declared in the return is correct and complete, every receipt has been accounted for, and every claim made in the return is supported by the documents enclosed.

9. That ________ request that no addition or disallowance be made on the basis of any material that has not been shared with us, and that any such material be provided to ________ so that ________ may respond to it.

10. That before any variation prejudicial to ________ is proposed, ________ request that a show cause notice stating the proposed variation and the reasons for it be issued to ________, and that ________ be given an opportunity of being heard, including by video conference, as the proceeding is conducted in the faceless manner.

11. That ________ reserve the right to rely on any provision of the law, circular or judgment at a later stage, and at present ________ also rely on the following: ________.

D. PRAYER

12. That in view of the above, ________ respectfully pray that: (a) the return of income be accepted as filed, declaring a total income of ________; (b) no addition or disallowance be made; (c) an opportunity of being heard be given before any adverse view is taken; and (d) any other relief that the authority considers fit be granted.

VERIFICATION

I, ________, ________, do hereby verify that the contents of this reply and its enclosures are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief, that nothing material has been concealed, and that I am competent to sign this reply on behalf of the assessee.

ENCLOSURES

Yours faithfully,

For ________

Signature: ______________________

Name: ________
Designation: ________

Prepared by: ________, ________

How to execute this document

  • Stamp paper: Plain paper is usually enough. Use stamp paper only if the office that receives it asks for it.
  • Notarisation: Not needed unless the office asks for it.
  • Registration: Not needed.
  • Who signs: The assessee signs, or for a firm, company or other body, the partner, director or principal officer who may sign the return. A CA or advocate may prepare it and file it with your authorisation.
  • Witnesses: none needed unless the office asks.
  • ID and photos: Carry an original ID of the person who signs. Never write an Aadhaar number on the document.
  • Where to submit: The office or portal that asked for it, together with the other documents in the checklist.

Common mistakes

  • Replying after the date in the notice without asking for more time.
  • Copying a section or case name you have not checked.
  • A point in the notice left without a reply.
  • Attaching documents that do not match the figures in the reply.
  • Filing without a CA or advocate looking at it.

Clause guide

Each part of the document in simple words.

Act, section and year
Choose the year: assessment years up to 2026-27 are under the Income-tax Act, 1961; tax years from 2026-27 are under the Income-tax Act, 2025. Copy the section printed on the notice. For a 2025 Act notice, add the matching 1961 section if the notice shows it: the reply shows it in brackets. The format never guesses a section.
Date of service and time limit
Give the date the notice reached you. For a notice under Section 143(2) of the Income-tax Act, 1961 on a return furnished from 1 April 2021, the proviso to Section 143(2) allows it to be served only within three months from the end of the financial year in which the return was furnished. If it was served later, the reply adds the objection on its own.
Late reply
If the date of your reply is after the last date (or the extended date), the reply asks for the delay to be condoned and you must write the reason.
DIN
Copy the DIN printed on the notice. If there is none, choose 'does not bear a DIN': the reply then asks for the validity of the notice to be examined first, without giving up the reply.
Queries
Add one row for each query in the order of the notice or questionnaire, with your reply and the annexure numbers. Answer every query, even to say a document is not applicable.
Hearing and material
The reply asks for any material used against you and for a show cause notice and hearing before any addition. You may also ask for a hearing by video conference.
Filing
File through e-proceedings on the e-filing portal before the last date, attach the signed reply and the annexures, and keep the acknowledgement. Have a CA or advocate review it first.

Common questions

Which section is a scrutiny notice under?
Copy it from your notice. For earlier years the notice may be under the Income-tax Act, 1961 (for example Section 143(2) or 142(1)); for later years under the Income-tax Act, 2025. This format does not change or guess the section.
What if I cannot reply by the date?
Ask for more time before the last date, through e-proceedings, with the reason, and write the extended date in the reply.
Is this format tax advice?
No. Get a CA or advocate to review your reply before you file it.

Aksar pooche jaane wale sawaal

Yahi jaankari, Hinglish mein.

Scrutiny notice ka reply kaise dein?
Notice mein jo section, number, DIN aur saal likha hai wahi bharein, har query ka jawab documents ke saath dein, aur e-proceedings par last date se pehle file karein. File karne se pehle CA se check karwayein.