Infosys asked to fix fresh glitches in income tax portal

Many users complained that they were unable to log in into the portal, while some complained malfunctioning of the search functionality

The Income Tax Department directed software services giant Infosys Ltd to tackle fresh glitches in its e-filing portal after many users complained about being unable to log on to the website and struggled with the search option.

The news came on the first anniversary of the launch of the e-filing website, making some wonder if the portal developed by Infosys had been hacked. The government denied the possibility of a data breach.

The portal was launched to make it easier for taxpayers to file returns and claim refunds, but had struggled with technical issues for many weeks after its official launch, forcing the government to even extend the due date of filing tax returns last year.

"Issue relating to the search functionality of the e-filing website has come to our notice. The Income Tax Department is seized of the matter. @Infosys has been directed to look into it & @Infosys has confirmed that they are resolving the issue on priority," the I-T department tweeted on Tuesday, tagging Infosys Chief Executive Officer Salil Parekh.

Industry watchers urged the company and the I-T department to work on permanent fixes.

“Glitches with the portal have been reported in the past also. The Income Tax Department along with Infosys should actively take preventive steps to avoid any data breaches and inconvenience to taxpayers in future,” said Sachin Garg, a partner at consulting firm Nangia Andersen LLP.