Following are the options to be excercised by the person to get the copies of certified copy of the return 1. Go and Meet the ward staff of the A.O and request informally for giving you the ciopies of your return. You may get siome success with some cost I believe. 2. Go and talked to A.O and request in writing for copy of the return and Form 16 (if filed along with return ). 3. File an application u/s 138 of the I T Act in Form no 46 . Sub section 2 of section 138 of the I T Act provides (b) Where a person makes an application to the Chief Commissioner or Commissioner in the prescribed form for any information relating to any assessee received or obtained by any income-tax authority in the performance of his functions under this Act, the Chief Commissioner or Commissioner may, if he is satisfied that it is in the public interest so to do, furnish or cause to be furnished the information asked for and his decision in this behalf shall be final and shall not be called in question in any court of law. Therefore , you can apply information u/s 138(2)for any information which any income tax authority had obtained. You apply for copies of returns filed by your father . The application has to be made before either commissioner of income tax or chief commissioner of income tax having jurisdiction over your late father. If you do not know , you ask his office collegue where other employees were filing the return and that way you will get the jurisdictional officer. The commissioner of the charge can be applied for u/s 138 of the I T Act.