If your income tax refund is stuck for 90 days or more after your ITR is processed, file an RTI to the Centralised Processing Centre (CPC), Bangalore. The CPC handles every income-tax refund in India and is a public authority under the RTI Act, 2005. The RTI asks: current status of the refund, reasons for the delay, expected disbursement date, and the name of the dealing officer. Fee is Rs. 10. The PIO has 30 days to reply under §7(1). If no reply or wrong-status reply, file a First Appeal with the FAA at CPC and a Second Appeal with the Central Information Commission.
📥 Use these before filing
Confirm the refund is genuinely delayed before filing. The portal usually shows the refund status within 7 days of ITR processing.
The Income Tax Department processes about 10 crore returns each year and disburses around 3.5 crore refunds. Most refunds arrive within 30 days of ITR processing. The remainder gets stuck for one of four reasons:
The Income Tax helpline (1800-103-0025) often gives a generic “under processing” answer. The RTI route forces the PIO to disclose the actual reason and the officer handling it. The 30-day reply window is binding under §7(1).
To,
The Public Information Officer,
Centralised Processing Centre (CPC),
Income Tax Department,
Post Bag No. 1, Electronic City Post Office,
Bangalore - 560100
Subject: Request for information under §6(1) of the Right to
Information Act, 2005, regarding refund delay for PAN [XXXXX1234X],
Acknowledgement Number [XXXXXXXXXXXXXX], for Assessment Year 2025-26.
Sir / Madam,
I, [Your full name], a citizen of India, residing at [Your address],
PAN [XXXXX1234X], request the following information under §6(1) of
the RTI Act, 2005 regarding my income tax refund for AY 2025-26
(Acknowledgement Number [XXXXXXXXXXXXXX], ITR filed on [DD-MM-YYYY],
processed on [DD-MM-YYYY], refund amount Rs. [XX,XXX]):
1. Current status of the refund as on the date of this application.
2. Reasons for the delay beyond the standard 30-day window after
ITR processing.
3. Whether any adjustment under §245 of the Income Tax Act, 1961
has been made or is pending. If yes, the details of the prior-year
demand and the order under §245.
4. Whether the refund has been issued, attempted, or returned by my
bank. If returned, the date of return and the reason code.
5. Name and designation of the dealing officer (or system module)
currently handling this refund.
6. Expected disbursement date.
7. Action taken on my prior grievance through the e-Nivaran portal
dated [DD-MM-YYYY], if any.
I am enclosing Rs. 10 as the prescribed application fee by way of
Indian Postal Order No. [XXXXX] dated [DD-MM-YYYY].
Kindly supply the information within 30 days as required under §7(1)
of the Act.
Yours sincerely,
[Signature]
[Printed name]
[Phone] · [Email]
Date: [DD-MM-YYYY]
Place: [City]
90 days with no movement? Escalate to CIC with §20 prayer.
When the CPC PIO and the FAA both ignore the appeal, the Second Appeal to the Central Information Commission is the route. Include a §20(1) prayer for a Rs. 25,000 penalty on the PIO. Read the §20 guide for the full prayer block.
Templates: RTI Application Format · First Appeal Format · Second Appeal Format
Stuck? Use the AI RTI Drafter for the appeal in 60 seconds.
Yes. The Income Tax Department is a Central Government body under the Ministry of Finance, fully covered by the RTI Act, 2005. The CPC Bangalore is its largest processing wing and accepts RTI applications.
Yes, in most cases. The CPC PIO has access to the e-Filing system and replies with the actual status, reason for delay, and expected date. The reply rate is high (around 80 percent within 30 days as per CPC's own RTI annual report).
BPL applicants pay nothing under §7(5) of the RTI Act. Senior citizens have no statutory waiver under the Central Rules. Pay the Rs. 10 fee unless you hold a BPL card.
30 to 60 days post-RTI is the typical pattern. The RTI does not directly trigger the refund; it forces a status disclosure. The refund follows once the PIO surfaces the file to the dealing officer.
The penalty under §20 is for the RTI delay (not the refund delay). If the CPC PIO has missed the 30-day reply window without reasonable cause, the CIC will impose Rs. 250 per day, up to Rs. 25,000. Include the §20 prayer in the Second Appeal.
Refunds below Rs. 100 are not auto-disbursed under the Income Tax Department's small-refund rule. They get carried forward as credit. Ask the PIO to confirm the credit balance and to disburse together with a future refund.
Yes. The CPC and the Income Tax Department are listed on the rtionline.gov.in dropdown. Pick “Centralised Processing Centre (CPC), Bangalore” or “Income Tax Department, [PCIT name]” based on the issue.
Last reviewed: 28 May 2026, RTI Wiki editorial team.