Oltas Payment Challan Inquiry

Online Tax Accounting System, shortly known as OLTAS, was initiated by the Income Tax Department in order to receive and maintain the tax records which are paid through banks through online upload of the challan. Introduction of OLTAS made collection, reporting and accounting of all the kinds of direct taxes easier. OLTAS was introduced with the collective efforts of the following bodies:

The Central Board of Direct Taxes,
The Reserve Bank of India,
The Controller of accounts, and
The Indian Banks Association.

OLTAS facilitated the payment of taxes by the taxpayer through a single simplified copy of challan. As per OLTAS, the taxpayer has to use a single and common challan for the following:

1	Challan No. ITNS 280	For payment of regular income tax and corporate taxes
2	Challan No. ITNS 281	For the deposit of Tax Collection at Source (TCS) and Tax Deduction at Source (TDS)
3	Challan No. ITNS 282	For payment of direct taxes like wealth tax, gift tax, estate duty, hotel receipts tax, securities transaction tax (STT) and expenditure tax
4	Challan No. ITNS 283	For payment of Banking Cash Transaction Tax and Fringe Benefits Tax
5	Challan No. ITNS 285	For payment of equalization levy
6	Challan No. ITNS 286	For payment under Income Declaration Scheme, 2016
7	Challan No. ITNS 287	For payment under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana, 2016

Payment and generation of CIN

OLTAS challan when submitted to a bank branch for payment, the bank will tear-off the appropriate portion of challan and will give it back to the taxpayer after putting rubber stamp containing a unique Challan Identification Number (i.e. CIN).

CIN is a unique number comprising of following:

7 digit BSR code.
Date of presentation of challan in DDMMYY format.
5 digit serial number of the challan.

Time of issuance of tear off a portion to the taxpayer:

In case of cash payment – tear-off portion would be allotted immediately.
In case of payment through draft or cheque – tear-off portion would be allotted to the taxpayer after realization of draft or cheque.
In case of online payment – tear-off portion would be generated immediately after payment processing.

The CIN generation represents the proof of payment of tax and the same has to be entered at the time of filing of the income tax return.

OLTAS Challan Status Inquiry

It is important for the taxpayer to verify that the payment of the challan has been accounted for properly in their name.

TIN (i.e. Tax Information Network) provides the facility to inquire about the status of the challan. Challan inquiry facilitates following:

The taxpayer to ensure that the challan has been accounted for properly; and
The bank to inquire about the status of the challan uploaded by them.

OLTAS Challan Status Inquiry for Taxpayer

Two kinds of search are provided for challan status inquiry for taxpayer and steps for the same are narrated hereunder:

Navigate link https://tin.tin.nsdl.com/oltas/index.html.
For Taxpayer – CIN Based View and TAN Based View option are available.
If ‘CIN Based View’ is selected, the taxpayer needs to enter the following details:

- BSR Code
- Challan tender date
- Challan serial no.
- Amount

If ‘TAN Based View’ is selected, the taxpayer needs to enter the following details:

- Tax Deduction / Collection Account Number (TAN).
- Challan Tender Date / Date of Deposit (Period).

OLTAS Challan Status Inquiry for Bank

Two options ‘Collecting Bank Branch’ and ‘Nodal Bank Branch’ is available to the bank for obtaining/inquiring challan status.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about OLTAS Payment Challan Inquiry.

OLTAS (Online Tax Accounting System) is an online system introduced by the Income Tax Department to receive and maintain tax records paid through banks. It facilitates the collection, reporting, and accounting of various direct taxes.

OLTAS provides seven different types of challans: ITNS 280 for regular income tax and corporate taxes, ITNS 281 for TCS and TDS, ITNS 282 for wealth tax, gift tax, etc., ITNS 283 for Banking Cash Transaction Tax and Fringe Benefits Tax, ITNS 285 for equalization levy, ITNS 286 for Income Declaration Scheme 2016, and ITNS 287 for Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana 2016.

The Challan Identification Number (CIN) is a unique number generated by the bank when a taxpayer submits an OLTAS challan for payment. It serves as proof of payment of tax and must be entered when filing the income tax return.

The CIN comprises a 7-digit BSR code, the date of challan presentation (DDMMYY format), a 5-digit serial number, and the time of issuance of the tear-off portion to the taxpayer (immediately for cash payments, after realization for drafts/cheques, and immediately for online payments).

It is crucial for taxpayers to verify the OLTAS challan status to ensure that the payment has been accounted for properly in their name. This helps to avoid any discrepancies or issues during the filing of the income tax return.

Taxpayers can inquire about the OLTAS challan status through the TIN (Tax Information Network) website (https://tin.tin.nsdl.com/oltas/index.html). They can either use the 'CIN Based View' or 'TAN Based View' option to search for the challan status.

For the 'CIN Based View' option, taxpayers need to enter the BSR Code, Challan Tender Date, Challan Serial Number, and the Amount paid.

For the 'TAN Based View' option, taxpayers need to enter their Tax Deduction/Collection Account Number (TAN) and the Challan Tender Date or Date of Deposit (Period).

Banks can inquire about the OLTAS challan status through the 'Collecting Bank Branch' or 'Nodal Bank Branch' options available on the TIN website.

The OLTAS system simplifies the payment of taxes by allowing taxpayers to use a single, common challan for different types of direct taxes. It also streamlines the collection, reporting, and accounting processes for the Income Tax Department and banks.