RTI for Income Tax Refund Delay (with Sample to CPC)

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.

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:

1. Bank-account pre-validation failed. The account is not linked to PAN, the IFSC is wrong, or the account is dormant.
2. Refund re-issue pending. The original cheque or NEFT bounced and the system is waiting for re-issue.
3. Manual scrutiny. The CPC has flagged the return for officer review. No automatic clearance.
4. Adjustment under §245. A previous-year tax demand is being adjusted against the current refund.

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).

1. Confirm the refund is stuck. Log in to incometax.gov.in and check Refund Status. If the status shows “Refund Issued” but no money is in your bank, the issue lies with the bank (rejection). For “Under Processing” or “Refund Failed”, the RTI is appropriate after 30-60 days.
2. Identify the PIO. The PIO for CPC Bangalore is the Additional Director of Income Tax (CPC), address: Income Tax Department, Centralised Processing Centre, Post Bag No. 1, Electronic City Post Office, Bangalore - 560100. For region-specific issues, the PIO of the relevant Principal Commissioner of Income Tax (PCIT) office in your city is the right authority.
3. Draft the RTI. Use the 8-field format. Sample below.
4. Pay Rs. 10. Indian Postal Order in favour of “Pay & Accounts Officer, CBDT, New Delhi” or online via rtionline.gov.in.
5. Send by Speed Post. Keep the receipt.
6. Track the 30-day clock. On Day 31 of PIO silence, file a First Appeal.

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]

• Day 1-30: PIO reply window. The CPC PIO usually answers in 15-25 days.
• Day 31: Deemed refusal kicks in. File a First Appeal with the FAA at CPC (the Director of Income Tax, CPC).
• Day 76 (FAA's 45-day cap): File a Second Appeal with the Central Information Commission at cic.gov.in.
• Throughout: track the refund on incometax.gov.in. Refunds released after RTI filing are common.

• “Under processing, awaiting AO clearance.” Means manual scrutiny is on. Ask the next RTI to the AO's office for the file noting and timeline.
• “Adjusted against AY [earlier] demand under §245.” Means a prior-year tax demand absorbed the refund. Verify the §245 order on the e-Filing portal. If you dispute the prior demand, file a separate appeal under §246A of the Income Tax Act.
• “Refund attempted, bank returned.” Means the bank rejected the credit. Pre-validate the bank account on incometax.gov.in under Profile → Bank Account and request re-issue.
• No reply. File the First Appeal on Day 31.

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.

• RTI Application Format 2026
• File an RTI online via rtionline.gov.in
• First Appeal Format with grounds checklist
• Second Appeal to CIC, format + penalty
• Penalty under §20 of the RTI Act
• RTI time-limit cheat sheet
• The RTI Playbook. The complete guide to filing RTI in 2026.

• The Right to Information Act, 2005. §6, §7, §19, §20.
• The Income Tax Act, 1961. §245.
• Centralised Processing Centre, Income Tax Department. incometax.gov.in.
• Central Information Commission. cic.gov.in.
• RTI Online Portal. rtionline.gov.in.

Last reviewed: 28 May 2026, RTI Wiki editorial team.