Q1119. File tax return in India for the last 6 years - Late filling of income tax in India and penalties for late filling of tax return

Question: Can I file electronic income tax for last 6 years to claim my refunds. I am holding a NRI account with City Bank in India, or do I have to hire an accountant in India ? Thanks

Answer: It is not compulsory to hire an accountant to file tax returns in India. While online filing of income tax by individuals is the preffered option by many, there is always the option to file a paper return. For returns more than two years old you may not be able to file your income tax returns online. So you can either file a paper return or take the easier option of getting an accountant help file them for you. For readers of this page who may miss filling their tax return this year before the deadline of 31st July, 2019. Then they can still save some late filing penalty by filing before December 31, 2019 as fee will be Rupees 5000/- compared to filling after December 31, 2019 when the fee will be Rupees 10,000.