ITR Required if no income?

I have had no income since FY 2016-17. ITR for FY 2017-18 was e-filed showing zero income. No ITR was filed for FY 2018-19.

IT Department has sent reminder to file for FY2018-19 (AY2019-20) latest by 31 March 2020.

Is it required to file even if no income? Can I ignore the reminder?

If I must file is there a penalty for filing late?

 

Thank you.

Replies (8)
Quick Summary
This discussion addresses whether an Income Tax Return (ITR) is required if you have had no income since FY 2016-17 and received a reminder for FY 2018-19. While initially suggested that filing is not necessary and reminders can be ignored, a counter-argument states that once an ITR is filed (as was done for FY 2017-18), subsequent filings are generally expected. There's a debate on penalties for late filing and the validity of ignoring departmental notices, with advice to clarify the department's specific reasons for issuing the reminder.

Is it required to file even if no income?
- No... no need.

Can I ignore the reminder?
- Yes... you can ignore the reminder...


If I must file is there a penalty for filing late?

- no... no penalty is levied.

Thank you.

 

I appreciate such a quick and helpful response.

You are most welcome...
It's my pleasure...

We got opportunity in CCI Website for guidance to query and also got knowledge from forums.

So, thanks to CCI...
Once an ITR is filed, then you cannot pause/stop filing ITR. Since, you filed your first ITR for FY 2017-18, you have to file for all the ensuing years irrespective of your income.
You shouldn't ignore the reminder.
You have to pay late fee of Rs. 1,000 for delay in filing ITR u/s 234F (as your income is less than Rs. 5 lakh).
Recently, due to impact of COVID-19, the govt has extended the deadline from 31st March 2020 to 30th June 2020.
Mr Sarath Chandra.,

Don't be post wrong replies...

Where you read or educated for this one 👉 "Once an ITR is filed, then you cannot pause/stop filing ITR"

Don't be wrong information Mr...
Mr. Raja PM,
Then why will the dept issue a notice?
@ Mr Sarath Chandra.,

( Then why will the dept issue a notice? )

Find out why dept issued notice.... or
Ask the details from Your seniors.... or
Check out details of which cases notice issued by dept to Assessee...
I know that it's not mandatory to file ITR if there's no income.

And I also know that 'Once an ITR is filed, then you cannot pause/stop' is nowhere written. I've written that line so that assessee doesn't get any notice w.r.t non-filing.

If the assessee has sufficient documents to prove that there's no income, then there will not be any problem even if ITR is not filed.

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