Got a defective ITR notice from income tax department? Why and how to rectify

The number of defective income tax return (ITR) notices has been increasing lately, according to an Economic Times report, which added that the given time limit for fixing the defect is 15 days after receiving a notice under section 139(9).
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Step 1: Go to the e-filing ITR portal and log in using your credentials.
Step 2: Navigate to ‘e-File’ and select ‘File Income Tax Return’. After that, proceed according to the on-screen instructions.
Step 3: When asked why you are filing an ITR, select ‘Filed in Response to Notice u/s 139(9) to rectify the defect’.
Step 4: The defective ITR notice will mention the defect. So, if you agree with the defect, you can file a revised ITR correcting the highlighted defect.
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Step 5: However, if you don’t agree with the defective ITR notice, you can select the ‘Disagree’ option on the ‘e-Proceedings’ tab and provide a detailed explanation for your disagreement in the text box.
Disagreement can also be communicated with the jurisdictional A.O. It is also possible to file an appeal in the income tax appellate tribunal if you are not satisfied with the A.O’s decision.
Rectifying a defective ITR can increase your tax liability by making you liable to pay penal interest.
However, failing to rectify the defect will be treated as if the ITR was not filed at all, leading to you having to file a belated ITR or an updated ITR (ITR-U).
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