Digital Signature Certificate (DSC)

Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) is an electronic signature that can be used to authenticate the identity of the sender of a message or the signer of a document. Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) is a digital equivalent of a hand written signature.

An assessee can use a Digital Signature Certificate to file their Return/Form. A Digital Signature ensures that no alterations are made to the data once the document has been digitally signed. A DSC is normally valid for 1 or 2 years, after which it can be renewed.
DSC for e-Filing is mandatory for :

• Individuals and Firms w.e.f 1st July 2011 whose accounts are required to be audited u/s 44 AB of the Income Tax Act, 1961. "
• Companies from AY 2010-11 onwards.
• Any Income Tax Forms filed by assessee, Chartered Accountants, Deductors, etc.
• Optional for all other assessees.

A DSC should be issued by a licensed Certifying Authority (CA). Certifying Authority (CA) means a person who has been granted a licence to issue a DSC under Section 24 of the Indian Information Technology Act 2000.
Types of DSC:

There are 3 types of DSCs, having different security levels namely: Class-1, Class-2 , Class-3.

Class 1: These certificates do not hold any legal validity as the validation process is based only on a valid e-mail ID and involves no direct verification.

Class 2: The identity of a person is verified against a trusted, pre-verified database.

Class 3: This is the highest level where the person needs to present himself or herself in front of a Registration Authority (RA) and prove his/ her identity.

For e-Filing, Class-2 and Class-3 DSCs are accepted.

A DSC should be issued by a Licensed Certifying Authority (CA). CA means a person who has been granted a licence to issue a Digital Signature Certificate under Section 24 of the Indian Information Technology Act 2000.

To view the list of the Certified Digital Signature Certificate Providers, please refer to help section in the e-Filing application.