#FinancialBytes: How to check your Income Tax refund status online
What's the story
Once you are done with the filing and verification of your I-T returns, you can easily keep track of the refund status. Notably, the I-T department does send intimation to taxpayers via SMS/email, notifying them about the amount of refund to be credited to their bank accounts. However, if you wish to check your I-T refund status online, here's how you can do it.
Method 1
How to check refund status on I-T department's online portal
First, head to the I-T department's online portal. Log in using your username, password, and the system-generated captcha code. Once logged in, click on 'View Returns/Forms'. Now, from the drop-down menu, select 'I-T Returns', and the assessment year. Your 'Acknowledgement Number' will show up as a hyperlink. Click on it, and your refund status will flash on the screen.
Method 2
Procedure to check refund status online through the TIN-NSDL portal
The second method is simpler than the first one. Open the online portal of the Tax Information Network (TIN) of the I-T department. Enter your PAN, select the assessment year, and enter the captcha code to log in. Subsequently, a new page showing the status of your tax refund will show up on the screen.
ITR filing
Meanwhile, if you haven't filed ITR yet, follow these steps
July 31, 2019 is the last date to file your ITR. Follow these steps: Log on to the e-filing portal of the Income Tax department. Click on 'Submit returns/Online returns...' link. Log in to your account or register using your PAN. Select assessment year, ITR form (as applicable) and submission code. Finally, select 'Prepare and submit online' option. Enter the required details and submit.
Do you know?
Documents needed to file ITR
Important documents required to file Income Tax return are Form 16, Form 26AS, Interest certificates from banks and other financial institutions, Aadhaar card, and salary slips, among others.
Verification
Also, don't forget to duly verify your Income tax return
You might think that filing your Income Tax return on time is all you have to do. But note that you also need to get your return duly verified. There are various ways to verify your ITR such as Aadhaar-based OTP verification, or e-verification via net-banking. You can also generate your EVC (Electronic Verification Code) via bank/Demat account, and bank ATM.
Interchangeability
Separately, now quote Aadhaar instead of PAN for ITR
On a related note, you can now use Aadhaar number in place of PAN to file your I-T returns. This comes after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech announced that PAN and Aadhaar can now be used interchangeably. Further, Aadhaar can also be used for services where quoting of PAN is necessary such as buying gold, MF etc.