Most taxpayers today prefer paying their taxes online through net banking, UPI or debit cards. But what if you are more comfortable making the payment at a bank branch? The Income Tax Department still offers that option.
As taxpayers begin filing their Returns (ITR) for Assessment Year 2026-27, many may not be aware that taxes can also be paid through the ‘Pay at Bank Counter’ facility available on the income-tax e-filing portal. The option allows eligible taxpayers to generate a challan online and complete the payment at an authorised bank branch using cash, cheque or demand draft.
The Income Tax Department has already enabled Excel utilities for ITR-1, ITR-2, ITR-3 and ITR-4, allowing taxpayers to prepare their returns offline before uploading them on the e-filing portal.
While digital payment methods remain popular, the ‘Pay at Bank Counter’ facility continues to be available for taxpayers who prefer making payments through a physical bank branch.
The service can be accessed through both pre-login and post-login modes on the e-filing portal.
Under this facility, taxpayers first generate a Challan Reference Number (CRN) through the e-filing portal. The challan can then be printed and submitted at a selected authorised bank branch along with the payment instrument.
The payment can be made through cash, cheque or demand draft. However, cash payments above Rs 10,000 are not permitted under this mode.
One advantage of the facility is that no additional transaction fee or service charge is levied for making tax payments through the bank counter.
The Income Tax Department has clarified that the facility is not available to companies and certain taxpayers covered under specific provisions of the Income Tax Rules.
For most individual taxpayers, however, the option remains available subject to eligibility conditions.
The process begins by logging into the income-tax e-filing portal using your user ID and password.
After logging in, taxpayers need to visit the e-Pay Tax section and choose the appropriate tax payment category. They must then select the relevant assessment year, tax details and payment breakup.
At the payment mode stage, taxpayers can choose ‘Pay at Bank Counter’ and select whether they intend to pay through cash, cheque or demand draft. They must also select the authorised bank where the payment will be made.
Once the details are verified, the system generates a challan containing the Challan Reference Number. This document must be printed and carried to the chosen bank branch for completing the payment.
Here, it must be mentioned that the Income Tax Department has authorised 33 banks to collect tax payments. These include major public and private sector lenders such as State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Union Bank of India and several others. The Reserve Bank of India is also among the authorised institutions.
After the bank accepts and processes the payment, taxpayers receive confirmation through SMS and email on their registered mobile number and email address.
The challan receipt can later be downloaded from the e-filing portal for future reference. Payment details are also reflected in the Payment History section available under the e-Pay Tax menu.
In other words, while online payments remain the fastest route, the ‘Pay at Bank Counter’ facility offers a useful alternative for those who prefer dealing directly with a bank branch.