Got ITR Notice? Respond in 30 Days or Pay More
If the Income Tax Department sent you a Section 143(1) notice after your ITR was processed, and it shows a tax demand, you must reply within 30 days. Ignoring it makes you an 'assessee in default' and invites penalties plus interest.
Ignoring this notice costs more than 10 months of your Netflix subscription — every single month
Miss this window and your unpaid tax demand triggers recovery action against you
Key Takeaways
Log in to incometax.gov.in, go to 'Pending Actions', and check if any 143(1) intimation is waiting for your response.
If you agree with the demand, pay the tax using Challan 280 immediately and submit your response confirming payment on the portal.
If you disagree, file a rectification request under Section 154 or raise a grievance online — do NOT ignore even if you think it is wrong.
If the Income Tax Department sent you a Section 143(1) notice after your ITR was processed, and it shows a tax demand, you must reply within 30 days. Ignoring it makes you an 'assessee in default' and invites penalties plus interest.
Here's what happened: After processing your ITR, the tax department sends a Section 143(1) intimation if they find a mismatch or additional tax due.. Taxpayers must respond to any outstanding demand within 30 days of receiving the intimation — silence is treated as agreement or default.. Being declared an 'assessee in default' allows the IT department to initiate recovery proceedings, attach assets, or garnish salary..
What you should do: Log in to incometax.gov.in, go to 'Pending Actions', and check if any 143(1) intimation is waiting for your response.. If you agree with the demand, pay the tax using Challan 280 immediately and submit your response confirming payment on the portal.. If you disagree, file a rectification request under Section 154 or raise a grievance online — do NOT ignore even if you think it is wrong..
Interest under Section 220(2) accrues at 1% per month on unpaid demand from the due date — a ₹10,000 demand becomes ₹11,200 in just one year.
For readers weighing their credit and loan options, our personal loan guide and CIBIL score resources put this update in context.
Compare 100+ Loan Options — Free
GoCredit's AI matches you with lenders most likely to approve YOUR profile. Zero CIBIL impact. Real rates in 60 seconds.
Show My Loan Offers →References
- [1]“ITR filing: Received Section 143(1) intimation with tax demand? Respond within 30 days or risk being treated as an ‘assessee in default’; know how to do it” Wealth-Economic Times · 23 Jul 2026
This article is reported by GoCredit's Editorial Team based on the source above. GoCredit synthesises, contextualises, and adds India-borrower-relevant analysis. We are not the original publisher.