Class 3 signing
Individuals, directors, CAs
Tax and company filings, EPFO, tenders and GeM, trademark and reissue.
₹1,200/ 2 years
DSC for Income Tax e-Filing: ITR, Audit Reports, 15CA and 15CB
On this page
A Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) for income tax work is a Class 3 signing certificate. You register it once on the Income Tax e-Filing portal, in your own name or in the name of your firm, and use it to sign returns, audit reports and the CA forms 15CA and 15CB. This post covers who needs one, what the portal asks for, and how the registration works.
Who needs one
Taxpayers who sign an ITR digitally need a DSC. Companies and political parties use the Principal Contact’s DSC for e-verification of returns. Chartered accountants need one for two kinds of work. The tax audit report in Form 3CA-3CD or 3CB-3CD is uploaded by the CA with their own DSC. Form 15CA and 15CB, the certificates for remittance to a non-resident, are signed digitally with the same certificate. A firm signing on behalf of a company or a client uses a certificate in the firm’s name, with the authorised signatory named on it.
What the portal needs
The e-Filing portal accepts a Class 3 signing DSC for individuals and organisations. The certificate is issued against a PAN, so the PAN on the certificate must match the PAN you file under. One certificate serves one PAN. If you file under different PANs, each needs its own certificate. The portal does not ask for encryption for income tax work, so a signing certificate is enough. You do not need a combo.
What you need before you apply
The certificate is issued against your PAN, so the name on the certificate must match your income tax records. You need your PAN card, your Aadhaar card linked to that PAN and to your mobile, and an email ID and mobile number for the DSC record. The photo and the ID are captured live in the Certifying Authority’s video KYC, so you do not send us a photo. A firm applying in its name also sends the authorisation letter and the registration documents of the firm.
How to get it from us
Order and pay on the site, then send us your documents on WhatsApp, by email or at our Udaipur office. We fill and submit the application to the Certifying Authority for you. You then confirm your mobile and email with OTPs, complete the Aadhaar OTP and video KYC with the Certifying Authority, and a final eKYC OTP on your phone approves the application. We assist you through the KYC. The certificate is issued on a USB token, which reaches you by courier or can be picked up from the office. Application support is included in the price. Current prices are on the Class 3 signing product page.
How to register it on the portal
Once the certificate is on your token, you register it on the e-Filing portal yourself. Log in, open Profile and Manage DSC, then Register DSC. Choose the certificate from the plugged-in token and enter the PIN. Registration is done once per portal. The same certificate works on GST, TRACES and MCA too, and each portal has its own registration.
When you file, the portal signs the return through the DSC Management Utility. It is the portal’s own small program: it reads the certificate from the token and signs the XML file behind a return, a Form 3CB or a Form 15CB. The portal prompts for it when it asks for a signature.
What happens if your DSC expires in filing season
The return or the report will not sign once the certificate expires. If a deadline is close, order the reissue as soon as you notice the expiry date, and register the new certificate on the portal as soon as it arrives on your token. A certificate already on your token keeps working until it expires, so there is no gap if you plan ahead.
Renewal
A DSC is issued for 1 to 3 years. After expiry, signing stops, so plan the reissue before the expiry date. After a reissue, register the new certificate on the portal again. Our DSC for Income Tax e-Filing page covers the same registration steps and the CA forms in more detail.
The certificate for this work
Frequently Asked Questions
Look through the answers below. If yours is not there, message us and we will help you choose.
Still have a question? Chat on WhatsApp
Is a DSC mandatory for ITR filing?
Not for every ITR. A return filed without a DSC needs an OTP on the Aadhaar-linked mobile. You use a DSC when the return is large, when you are signing an audit report, or when you do not want to depend on the OTP.
Can I use the same DSC for Income Tax and GST?
Yes, if the PAN on the certificate matches. Each portal has its own registration, done once with the certificate from the token.
What is the DSC Management Utility?
It is the small program the Income Tax portal uses to read your certificate from the token and sign the XML file behind a return, a Form 3CB or a Form 15CB. The portal prompts for it when it asks for a signature.
How do I register my DSC on the Income Tax portal?
Log in to the e-Filing portal, open Profile and Manage DSC, then Register DSC. Choose the certificate from the plugged-in token and enter the PIN.
Can a CA file Form 15CA and 15CB without a DSC?
Form 15CA and 15CB are signed digitally, so the CA signs them with a DSC on the token. It is the same Class 3 signing certificate, not a separate one.