e-Filing XML structures repeatedly modified by the Department

We regret that we have not given updates for e-Filing of ITR-2, ITR-3, ITR-4 and ITR-4S. This, unfortunately, is due to the repeatedly changing XML definitions as provided by the e-Filing Department of the Income Tax Department.

Following are the links to the various XML definitions that Cubic Systems has so far gathered: (the filenames also indicate the dates)

XML of April 20, 2012
XML of May 7, 2012
XML of May 10, 2012
XML of May 23, 2012 (the version now available for download from the e-Filing site)

In the 4 versions released within a duration of approximately one month, there have been significant changes across the definitions. Definitions of some elements were not appropriate in the earlier versions, which the department has been correcting with the succeeding versions. For instance,

• The Co-ownership details of House Property in XML were not correct with respect to that of the ITR print formats.
• New "Counter" element has been introduced in the latest version
• New elements were added for Long Term Capital Gains (Deemed-Long-Term @ 10% and Deemed-Long-Term @ 20%). There was no appropriate information given with respect to these elements, and neither do these elements map to any information in the ITR Print formats. These have now been dropped in the latest version.
• Definition of elements for Foreign Assets have been modified with almost every version. Further, the department has still not given the complete list of Country Names and Codes (even with the latest version).
• Schedule for Tax Relief was corrected in the second version
• New elements / structures were defined for Tax Refund for ITR-2, ITR-3, and ITR-4. However, with the latest version, the new structures have been dropped and the definitions of the old Refund elements has been restored.
• Deduction u/s 80 ID has been introduced for Individual returns since the latest version.
• Schedule of Unabsorbed Depreciation has been modified with the latest version.

Since Cubic Systems were not convinced with the correctness of the structures in the earlier versions of the XML definitions, we were reluctant to provide the updates. e-Returns filed during the course of this time would have been error-prone and led to the problems of Rectification of Returns.

Those who prepare the e-Returns using the Excel Utility given by the department, have no choice but to re-input the data in the new Excel files, which are also correspondingly modified. Thankfully, since you use CompuTax, you don't have to feed any data again, but may only have to re-compute some annexures by "Saving" them again.

Cubic Systems is currently analysing the new structures and implementing the changes.  We assure that the updates will be released as soon as we can say with complete confidence that the new definitions do not contain any anomalies.

Please be patient. We are trying to minimise the problems for yourselves as well as us.

Regards,
Cubic Systems Team.