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Keeping pace with the growing use of the internet, most of the government services are now available online. With the increasing emphasis on e-governance, the ITD is making an attempt to make all of its services online. This will increase not only the convenience but also the efficiency for the users. Not just filing taxes, but you can easily check your tax refund status and track your requests on the portal as well.
How to Apply for a Tax Refund?
While paying your income tax, it may happen that the amount you paid is exceeding the amount of tax you were liable to pay. To claim the extra amount as a refund, you need to fill up the Income Tax Return (ITR) form.
The IT Department has made it very easy to file an income tax return on their website. After your application is processed, you are notified via email or SMS of the amount that you will be refunded, and a refund sequence number is allocated. The refund amount is sent to you via a cheque/demand draft issued by the State Bank of India, or by direct transfer to your bank account by NEFT/RTGS transaction. You need to provide the correct bank account details for the transfer while filing the ITR.
Usually, the amount transfer requires a few days. You can check your income tax refund status online on either the income tax e-filing website or the TIN NSDL website.
Checking Status Through Income Tax Website:
1. Visit the and log in to your account using the details of your PAN Card and date of birth, and by verifying a captcha code.
2. Check the ‘view returns’ and ‘forms’ menu to select the income tax return section for the particular assessment year.
3. You will see an acknowledgment number in the form of a hyperlink. Clicking on this will provide you with all the details of your income tax filings.
4. You can view the date of ITR filing, processing, date of refund processed, and the current status of the refund on a pop-up screen.
Checking Status through TIN NSDL Website:
The alternative method to check your tax refund is through the TIN NSDL website.
1. You can visit and fill up the relevant details required, i.e., PAN card details, assessment year, and the captcha code.
2. Upon submission, it will show you the current status of the income tax refund through standard messages.
3. In case of a failure in the tax return, the website notifies the taxpayer about the discrepancies that occurred while providing the banking details or some other technical issues.
Key Takeaway
The income tax e-filing website and the TIN NSDL website allow taxpayers to track the status of their claim in a hassle-free manner. The Internet has made it easier to file tax or follow the refund status. Most importantly, put into place a transparent picture to get back to you the money which is lawfully yours.
