Can the IT Department Identify Whether a Return Is CA-Filed or Self-Filed?

Personal Finance ✔️
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@quicko — Requesting input from Tax Return Preparers or Chartered Accountants (if available) for clarity on this. Kindly respond if you’re qualified to comment.

If a Chartered Accountant (CA) firm has been engaged to prepare accounts and file the ITR-3 return on behalf of a client, can the Income Tax Department determine that the return was professionally filed?

Specifically:

  1. Is there any indicator or metadata in the return or e-filing system that shows the return was prepared and submitted by a professional firm, as opposed to being self-filed by the assessee?

  2. Does this distinction (if any) impact the perceived credibility of the return—for example, potentially reducing the likelihood of errors or scrutiny?

  3. Additionally, do CA firms typically use consumer-focused platforms like Quicko, ClearTax, or Jio Finance, or do they have access to separate professional interfaces/tools for filing returns on behalf of multiple clients?

Kindly request that only those who are completely certain of the facts respond, as this is a technical matter where guesswork may lead to confusion. No offense intended — just aiming for clarity based on firsthand knowledge or authoritative sources.

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Well last year was when I started using the Incometax.gov.in site explicitly to file my returns. Post that I used to use Cleartax. If you use Cleartax, the filing comes as “ERI” whereas if you file it yourself, it would be shown as “Self”. If you have a CA and the CA takes your credentials to file then also it comes as “Self” but there is another provision where you can record a CA as an ERI or a proper CA with membership id and the CA can directly file it from his IT portal as you will be registered as a client in the CA’s portal.

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  1. We self declare if we are filing for ourselves or for someone else. Besides IP address is logged. If account is audited by CA then he has to upload the signed statements to the client IT portal. Other than that the application on other side may not know who is pressing the buttons.

  2. CA filed ITRs are more credible.

  3. Typically CAs don’t use any of these new age platforms. Most of them are still stuck with legacy softwares.

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They use utilities provided by the IncomeTax site which generates a json and accordingly they upload it. CAs don’t use the Online Form and prefer the offline utilities to file.

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@nitishbangera , @t7support

Thank you for taking the time to shed light on the topic — it’s much appreciated.

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