The Income Tax Department entertains queries for all assessees regarding the refunding of income tax through the Tax Information Network (TIN). The SBI has been appointed as the refund banker, which processes refunds and routes them to the assessees' bank accounts. If the assessee does not choose direct credit, a cheque is sent. This facility also helps track the status of the parcel that has been despatched by speed post. All refunds are handled by the Central Processing Centre (CPC) at Bangalore. Visit http://tinyurl.com/cj768m for checking the status of your income tax refund. You can do so by indicating your PAN, relevant assessment year and then clicking on 'submit'. 

Processing 

If the processing of the refund has not been completed by your assessing officer, or if there is no refund payable to you for that year, you will get a message saying so. 

Refund details 

If there is a refund, you will get details showing your refund reference number, the date of credit to your bank account or the date of despatch of the cheque by speed post, and the speed post reference number, if applicable 

Tracking 

You can go to http://tinyurl.com/y8es wtm and enter the speed post reference number. On submitting it, you will get a link called 'movement', which will show the status of your parcel. 

E-mail 

You can submit your reference number and e-mail ID on the speed post tracker screen. You will receive an e-mail when your parcel has been received. 

Points to note 

Status check: You can check if your refund has been sent to the SBI, the refund banker, by logging into your e-filing account. 

Payment mode: If you do not choose to receive the refund as an electronic credit, a cheque will be sent to the address provided in your income tax return. 

Error notification: If there is an error in the refund or in case of any other query, the assessee can write to CPC Bangalore, quoting the refund reference number. 

The content on this page is courtesy Centre for Investment Education and Learning ( CIEL)