The Income Tax Department, the Centralised Processing Centre (CPC), Bengaluru, and PAN service providers (Protean (NSDL e-Gov) and UTIITSL) collectively handle PAN issuance, correction and refund payouts. They are public authorities or substantially-financed bodies under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act 2005. An RTI under Section 6 asking for the PAN application acknowledgement, file noting, refund determination, refund advice and present status normally clears most disputes within 30 days.
Use this guide if (a) PAN correction or re-issue is delayed; (b) refund is shown as “issued” but not credited; © refund is partly disallowed and you want the calculation; (d) Aadhaar-PAN linking has failed and PAN is “inoperative”; (e) refund reissue request is pending; (f) you want the assessment order or the rectification noting; (g) DIN-based notice has been issued but you cannot trace the file.
The CIC has held in A K Aggarwal v CBDT (CIC/AT/2009) and similar later orders that the assessee's own file noting, scrutiny notes, refund advice and rectification orders are disclosable to the assessee, while third-party data and ongoing investigation notes may be withheld under Section 8(1)(h).
To, The Public Information Officer, [NSDL e-Gov / UTIITSL / CPC Bengaluru / Pr.CIT (jurisdictional)] [Full address] Subject: RTI under Section 6 regarding PAN [number], AY [year], refund / correction status Sir / Madam, I, [Full name], a citizen of India, holder of PAN [number], request the following under the RTI Act 2005. Fee of Rs. 10 paid online / by IPO. For PAN correction / re-issue: 1. Date and acknowledgement number of my Form 49A / 49AA / Change request. 2. Present status and present custodian. 3. Reason recorded for any rejection or pending document call. 4. Date by which the corrected card will be dispatched. For refund / assessment: 5. Status of my refund for AY [year], with refund sequence number, amount and date of dispatch. 6. ECS / NEFT / cheque mode and the bank advice number. 7. Reason for any reduction from the refund claimed (with calculation sheet). 8. Set-off, if any, against past demand, with the demand reference and Section under which set-off was made. 9. Copy of the intimation under Section 143(1) / order under Section 143(3) / rectification under Section 154. 10. Present location of my refund reissue request, if filed, with the bank validation status. 11. Standard timeline applicable to my refund per the latest CBDT circular. I invoke Section 10 (severability). I undertake to pay further fee under Section 7(3). Yours faithfully, [Signature, name, date and PAN]
Yes. Your own assessment order is your record. Even when service was through e-filing, you can ask for a certified copy.
Ask for the demand notice reference, the Section under which set-off was made, and a copy of the past demand order. If the demand itself is wrong, file rectification.
Yes, substantially-financed and statutorily appointed. NSDL e-Gov has a designated CPIO.
No. Most CPC officers treat an RTI as a reminder. Filing it usually accelerates, not delays.
No, but the RTI gives you the reason for the inoperative status, which you then act on (Aadhaar linking or DOB correction).
Ask for the dispatch number, and file a refund-reissue request on the e-filing portal in parallel.
The unit code can be disclosed; individual officer identity is sometimes withheld under Section 8(1)(g) for ongoing safety, but the assessment order itself is yours.
Last reviewed: 9 May 2026.