TDS Refund

If you are expecting your TDS refund and wondering where it is stuck, you can easily check and rectify it online by following the procedure laid down for a TDS refund online.

TDS return process has been made fully electronic for the ease and convenience of the tax filer. So, if you have not received your refund, you can track the TDS refund online on the tax information network website of the Income Tax department.

Understanding the Concept of TDS

TDS is basically the full form of tax deducted at the source. Any person or company making the payment is required to deduct tax at the source if the payment exceeds the specified/maximum limits. As per the Income tax laws, TDS has to be deducted as per the rates set by the tax department.

A person or a company, which pays the amount after deducting the TDS, is known as the deductor. And the person or the company receiving the payment is known as the deductee.

It is the responsibility of the deductor to deduct TDS prior to the payment and then deposit it with the government.

TDS deduction does not depend on the mode of payment, whether it is via cheque, cash, or credit. Every transaction is linked to the deductor’s PAN and is then deducted.

Tax at source is deducted on the below-mentioned payments-

• Salaries

• Rent Payments

• Commission Payments

• Interest paid by Banks

• Professional Fees

• Consultation Fees

However, TDS is not applicable to the payments made by individuals are for rent and the payments made to doctors and lawyers.

TDS is a kind of advance tax, and it has to be periodically deposited with the government by the deductor. The onus of depositing the TDS lies with the deductor, and the role of the deductee is restricted to claiming the TDS refund while filing the Income Tax Return.

What is TDS Return?

Tax deducted at source has to be deposited by the deductor to the central government by filling all the details in the TDS return form.

TDS return is filed quarterly, and the different types of tax deductions can be filed through different forms of TDS return.

Basically, the concept of TDS requires the person responsible for deducting taxes appropriately as per the specified rates for the payments of specific nature that are being made to a particular recipient.

Based on the certificate issued by the deductor, the receiver from whose income tax is deducted at the source gets the credit of the deducted amount in his personal assessment.

What is the Procedure for TDS Refund?

If there is an excess deduction of TDS, the deductor can claim a refund of such excess tax deducted at the source. The excess amount will be refunded as per the specified procedure for a TDS refund.

The difference between the TDS or deductible and the actual payment made by the deductor whichever is considered as the excessive amount. This amount is then adjusted against any current tax liabilities (as per the Direct Tax Acts).  Once all the liabilities are paid, the remaining amount will be refunded.

Who is Accountable to Deduct TDS?

The TDS deduction from the income is required by the statute, which is under the head salary.

The “employer-employee” relationship is an essential condition for taxing, under the head salaries, of particular receipts.

Such a relationship exists when the employer directly controls and supervises the employees and lays down the instructions to monitor the control. As per the Income tax laws, a tax deduction is required when-

• The employer makes the payment to the employee

• When salary is paid to the employee

• The income which is lower than the maximum amount of head salaries is not chargeable to tax.

Here are a Few Reasons for Delay in TDS Refund

• If you have entered the wrong IFSC code, then also your TDS refund will not be processed. The bank department would not be able to identify your bank details with the wrong IFSC code.

• If there is a credit mismatch, then also you would need to file a rectification in your TDS refund online. Under section 154, rectification can be filed for a mismatch in advance tax or tax credit. Also, wrong gender details and errors in additional details are not accepted.

• Any change in total income would also call for filing a revised tax return/TDS return. You would also be restricted from claiming new exemptions and deductions.

• A mismatch in the tax deducted at source. This happens when the tax credit is not similar to the tax deduction entries on Form 26 AS. You can check this under the accounts section when you log into the e-filing site.

• In case of a mismatch, you can file a rectification. If you find a mistake in your FORM 26AS, you should inform your concerned TDS deductor, bank, or your employer.

• If you have outstanding liabilities, then also your income tax refund will not be processed. Under Section 245 of the Income Tax Act, the assessing officer can help you adjust your refund of unpaid dues from the last year. You would receive an email notification to file for income tax rectification. In certain cases, your Chartered accountant (CA) can also help you rectify it or seek the information.

What Does Your Refund Status Mean?

To know the status of your tax refund/TDS refund online, you would need to provide your PAN card number along with the tax assessment year.

• No e-filing has been done this year - You would need to re-verify your income tax return, as your return is not verified or filed.

• Refund determined and sent out to refund banker - This indicates that your income tax return is under process, and your application has been forwarded to the refund banker.

• Refund Unpaid - If you have submitted the wrong IFSC code to the tax department, then your refund won’t be processed. Suppose you have an SBI account and you have entered wrong details under IFSC CODE State Bank of India, then you would have to correct it under the Income-tax website under refund re-issue request.

• Refund Paid - It means that the refund has been sent. In case you haven’t received it, then you would need to check it with your bank.

Your status would be shown as ‘Not Determined’ if you have submitted your application in the past one month. If it has been longer than that, your application will read as being sent for a refund, and you will soon get money refunded in your account. If your refund status is different, then it means that your application is stuck.

If the ITR is filed and you are waiting for your TDS refund, then you can check the TDS refund online on the TIN NSDL website or on the official site of the Income Tax Department. All you need to do is log on to the site with your registered PAN number.

• Log on to the Income tax department’s site; go to the View Returns and Forms option.

• Select the Income Tax Returns option from the drop-down menu, and you will be directed to the Income Tax Returns page.

• There, you can check if the ITR has been verified, or is processed or is still pending for verification.

• In case the ITR is pending for verification, you can verify it again online using your Aadhaar based OTP. You can also send the signed ITR-V/ITR Acknowledgement to the Income Tax CPC office at Bengaluru via speed post or ordinary post (except via courier)

• The status will appear as successfully verified, and after a few days, it will appear as ITR Processed.

• Once the ITR is processed, you can click on the acknowledgment number and check if the refund amount has been paid or not.

• If the refund is initiated, it will also showcase the mode of payment.

• If the payment is made through Electronic Clearing System (ECS), you can check your bank statement to see if the amount has been credited or not.

• If the refund was initiated through a cheque, it would reflect in your account after a few days of the payment. If the cheque remains undelivered, you will have to update the address on the link provided, and then the cheque will be re-issued.

• Once the Income tax return is processed, you can check the status of the TDS refund online on the TIN NSDL website. Just select the Status of Tax Refunds option, enter your PAN number, and the year of assessment

TDS Refund FAQs