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Where ITD e-filing utility data is saved?

Hardik Hindocha (93 Points)

24 July 2021

Someone please let me know where all backup files of returns prepared with ITD e-filing utility is saved? (File path)

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13 Replies

CA Rashmi Gandhi (Chartered Accountant) (86323 Points)
Replied 25 July 2021

When you are saving a file, path is shown
Also such files saved in folder where ITD utility is saved

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CA. Sourav Sarkar (Chartered Accountant ) (24583 Points)
Replied 25 July 2021

E-filing utility is saved at the path folder where you saved the file

CA Rashmi Gandhi (Chartered Accountant) (86323 Points)
Replied 25 July 2021

If he knows, the save file path, why he asked here???

Stop replying without understanding query.

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CA. Sourav Sarkar (Chartered Accountant ) (24583 Points)
Replied 25 July 2021

The folder where the file is saved is the path

CA Rashmi Gandhi (Chartered Accountant) (86323 Points)
Replied 25 July 2021

Sourav, why replying without knowing the query.

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Hardik Hindocha (93 Points)
Replied 25 July 2021

Suppose I imported prefilled JSON file and fed all the tax computation using ITD utility, now I want to mail that particular JSON file to someone so that he can make changes in it using utility installed on his PC. I'm asking about file path of that JSON file...

CA Rashmi Gandhi (Chartered Accountant) (86323 Points)
Replied 26 July 2021

Where you have saved ITD utility , in that folder you will get your JSON.

Krishnamurthy B. (VP - S/w Architecture) (53 Points)
Replied 22 December 2021

Hi All,

Hardik's question is still open and valid, and all the answers above seem wrong for the "new" Offline JSON Utility for ITR preparation released in 2021. Only the old Java utility stored the in-prep data in the folder where the utility was installed. The new JSON utility does not seem to do so...

The new JSON ITR Prep utility is installed in the path :
"C:\Users\<your local comp username>\AppData\Local\Programs\ITDe-Filing\ITDe-Filing.exe".

However, I cannot see any JSON or other data file at this path which may hold the ITR data in prep, and whose last modified data is changing as I change / enter data in the utility.
Further, the Offline JSON utility seems to have no option to export the in-prep ITR data to an external JSON file until successful Validation !!

So, if I want to take a backup of in-prep ITRs in the Offline JOSON utility, or want to transfer the in-prep data from the PC/Laptop where I started, to another PC to continue the work (or want to transfer the data to another person or CA for consultation - like Hardik wants to), there seems no obvious way to do this...

So, if anyone knows how to backup / restore the ITR data entered in the new Offline JSON Utility or the process to export / import it to transfer the data from one PC to another, kindly share your knowledge...
Please do not give answers relevant for other versions of the IT prep software or for other utilities, as they only distract attention from this very important question...

Hardik, until we can get an answer to the above, the only "safe" way to do ITR prep (particularly if doing several), and also the only way to share the in-prep ITR data with others not physically nearby, seems to be to use the Online ITR prep utility instead of the Offline one... I know this is not a good answer for sharing data files for consultation as it requires both parties to login to the IT Server Account of the ITR subject, and the prep work is also subject to the vagaries of IT server availability :-(.
So, I'm still trying to get an answer to our question... Will update here if I find out...

Krishnamurthy B. (VP - S/w Architecture) (53 Points)
Replied 30 December 2021

Hi Raghunath, Thanks for checking and confirming the issue on MAC as well... On the positive side, the developers seem to have indeed ensured that our Tax data cannot be easily stolen and misused 😊 !!

BTW, on MS Windows, I found several promising files & folders with changing Last Modification Dates under folder :
"C:\Users\<YourLocalUsername>\AppData\Roaming\ITDe-Filing" .

However, wasn't clear which of the above sub-folders or files contained our actual ITR data. So, I copied the entire sub-tree under above path from my PC where half-done ITRs were present, to another PC where the ITR JSON utility was installed, but no ITRs had been entered. But DISASTER...!! Not only did this NOT bring up the ITRs on the 2nd PC, it also destroyed the ITR utility installation in the 2nd PC some way, so the utility would no longer import any JSON file at all !! I had to erase and re-install the utility on my 2nd PC. So, DO NOT try this.!!

But there's some Good News...!!
I found that if even with a half-filled ITR, I can go to Schedule TTI and hit button "Preview Return". Then after filling field "Place" and ticking the check-box to confirm that I was filing the return, the button "Proceed to Preview" is enabled.. Hit that and then button "Proceed to Validation" at bottom of the Preview screen. Now, even if many Validation errors are thrown up, the button "Download JSON" is enabled at the bottom of the validation screen. Use that to download the JSON for the incomplete ITR. This JSON, could be transferred to and imported into the ITR JSON utility on my 2nd PC, where I could then proceed to complete the ITR till successful Validation. Then, I saved the JSON on my 2nd PC, copied it back and imported it into the ITR utility on my 1st PC (replacing the previously half-filled ITR). Then I could proceed to Validate it and upload the ITR from my 1st PC to IT Portal.

Hope this helps anyone who needs to transfer ITRs in preparation from one PC to another... Just go to Schedule TTI and proceed to validation and download the JSON from that screen at any stage of ITR preparation. Then transfer and import that JSON on any other PC (it will replace any ITR for the same PAN as the JSON that's already present on the PC where you import )...

Hope they don't change it to disable that Download JSON button on failed validation.!! All the best folks.!!

Raghunath Iyer (6 Points)
Replied 30 December 2021

Hello Krishnamoorthy,

Thanks for confirming the Json post validation is reusable. I lost that Json by overwriting what i had saved with one after the complete submission. That final Json is not reusable. I will try again, but suspect that there is some key value in the Json that says it is not a work in progress Json.

The real problem is reentering rows and rows of LTCG and FA data. There is no CSV import for FA. And the CSV for LTCG was not intuitive (at least for me).

Thanks once again for sharing a workflow for reusing an in progress ITR with the new app.

btw does anybody know what happens if you start another fresh IT return instance for the same PAN after you have successfully completed a filing. Does it invalidate the old filed ITR. Or does it allow one to make entries till the validation stage.

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Krishnamurthy B. (VP - S/w Architecture) (53 Points)
Replied 30 December 2021

Hi Raghunath,

What you said about non-editability of "submitted" JSON, would make sense. However, the Offline JSON Utility (upto version DU-v1.0.27) does not seem to have any intelligence to differentiate between an "in-prep" JSON and a "submitted - filed, verified & ack'ed" JSON... The offline desktop Util allows modification of both kinds !!
(For this test, I downloaded the JSON from the link available in the list of Filed Returns in IT portal - the JSON link is along with links to download Pdfs of ITR Ack & completed ITR Form.)

However, though you can edit/change data in the downloaded JSON, you finally cannot re-Upload an "Original" ITR JSON to the IT Portal for an FY for which an ITR Ack has already been generated.!! The Portal says that you have already filed the IT Return for that FY and cannot file it again. Your only option to change any data at this stage, is to file a "Revised" ITR for that FY.
I guess if you Restart filing from scratch - whether Online or Offline - you will face the issue off being unable to upload/submit it at the end. So, better to start by choosing to file a Revised Return from the Dashboard screen.
(In the Offline JSON Util, if you have imported the final Original ITR JSON, you can could change the Type of Return from "Original" to "Revised", provide details of the Original ITR filing, and then make any other required changes, before re-Uploading it).

Btw, on the issue of lost LTCG data - found that it does NOT need to be re-entered after importing a JSON !!
I guess the issue you see is that after importing a JSON, in the Capital Gains section, Gain Type for Sch-112A becomes un-checked and it also doesn't let you manually check it - even though you see filled data in Sch-112A itself !! Then If you proceed to open Sch CG, you don't see the LTCG 10% line imported from Sch-112A and the total income from Cap Gains is different. Now, deleting Sch-112A data lets you "check" Sch-112A again in CG types selection, but then you have to re-enter details of Sch-112A... Right?? I did this a couple of time too !! 😂.

But I found that you don't have to do this at all !!
This issue of disappearing Sch-12A line happens only when Sch-112A total is "Negative". If it is "Positive", the check-box against CG type for 112A remains checked, and the 112A Total line also appears in the CG details. However, even when Sch-112A total is "Negative", though it is not shown in the CG details, the Negative value from Sch-112A is used in Section E of Sch-CG (Set-off CY Cap Losses against CY Cap Gains). All other Calcs also use the adjusted (reduced) CG value. So, you don't have to do anything !! The Sch-112A data is retained and the 112A Loss is applied even though it is not shown on the Sch-CG list of incomes !!
But if you are not comfortable living with the above mismatch, here's another option...
After importing a JSON having Sch-112A Loss, first go to Sch-112A, edit and increase the Consideration of any one line enough to make the Sch-112A total become positive... Then go back to Sch-CG... Now checkbox for CG Type for 112A will be checked, and in the CG details, the summary Line for 112A will be seen... Now expand the summary line for 112A and hit the edit details button there. It will take you directly to Sch-112A details screen. Now, edit and revert the earlier change done to 112A, so that the 112A total is back to its original negative value. Now Save and Confirm that section... That will take you right back to the main Schedules list (not back to the CG section from where you entered into edit 112A) !! But if you now go to Sch-CG again, you will see the CG Type for 112A checked, and the CG details will also show the negative value imported from Sch-112A... !! 😊

Hope that long explanation saves some time for someone who has similar issues with LTCG-112A.

Raghunath Iyer (6 Points)
Replied 30 December 2021

Hello @ Krishnamurthy,
Thanks for a lengthy treatise on LTCG 112A. I will not be needing this help. But a colleague ran into serious issues with LTCG 112A. He finally abandoned the offline JSON utility and used a tax filing portal. I could have forwarded your notes to him and it could have helped him.

Back to loading a work in progress JSON (downloaded from ITR site). I realised the mistake I made. I chose to use the option - "import pre-filled json". Instead I should have used the "import draft ITR filled in online mode". With this change I can revisit my filed ITR (json).

I am doing this to be prepared for next year. Reentering row and rows of FA data without a CSV import is just silly. I will hopefully be able to patch the FA information from current JSON to next year's JSON (using a regular text editor) and proceed.