Paying advance income tax online is a straightforward process through the Income Tax Department's e-Filing portal. Taxpayers can generate an advance tax challan, select a suitable payment method and complete the transaction without visiting the Income Tax Office. The portal also allows users to download the payment receipt and check the status of their challan.
This guide explains how to submit advance tax online, both with and without logging in to the e-Filing portal. Follow the steps below to generate your challan and complete the payment correctly.
How to Submit Advance Tax Online Through the Income Tax Portal
The Income Tax Department provides an online facility called e-Pay Tax for depositing advance tax and other income tax payments. You can access this service through the official e-Filing portal.
You do not necessarily need to log in to your account to pay advance tax. The portal provides both pre-login and post-login payment options.
Before starting, keep these details ready:
- Your PAN details.
- A mobile number that can receive an OTP, if you are using the pre-login facility.
- The applicable Tax Year or Assessment Year.
- The amount of advance tax you want to deposit.
- Access to a bank account or another supported payment method.
How to Pay Advance Tax Without Logging In
If you do not want to log in to your Income Tax account, you can still generate an advance tax challan using your PAN and mobile number. Follow these steps:
Step 1: Open the Income Tax e-Pay Tax Portal
Visit the official Income Tax e-Filing website. Find and open the e-Pay Tax option available on the portal.
Step 2: Enter Your PAN and Mobile Number
On the e-Pay Tax page, enter your PAN and mobile number in the required fields. Make sure you enter the PAN of the person or entity for whom you are depositing the tax.
Click the Continue button to proceed.
Step 3: Verify Your Mobile Number Through OTP
The portal will send a six-digit OTP to the mobile number you entered. Enter this OTP on the verification screen and submit it.
After successful verification, the portal will display a confirmation message with your PAN and masked name. Click Continue to move ahead.
Step 4: Select the Applicable Income Tax Act
The portal will ask you to select the applicable Income Tax Act before proceeding to payment. Choose the Act according to the period for which you are depositing tax.
- Income-tax Act, 2025: Select this option for Tax Year 2026-27 onwards.
- Income-tax Act, 1961: Select this option for Assessment Year 2026-27 and earlier years, wherever applicable.
Select the correct Act and click Continue. Choosing the wrong Act or tax period may result in an incorrect challan, so check these details carefully.
Step 5: Select the Income Tax Payment Category
After selecting the applicable Act, the portal will display different tax payment categories. Choose the Income Tax or Income Tax/Corporation Tax option, as applicable to your taxpayer category.
For advance tax payment, you need the challan for income tax or corporation tax, not the options meant for other types of taxes.
Step 6: Select Advance Tax as the Type of Payment
On the tax payment details screen, select Advance Tax under the Type of Payment field. The applicable minor head for advance tax is 100.
Enter the amount you want to deposit in the relevant tax breakup field. Check the amount and other details before proceeding.
Step 7: Select a Payment Method
The portal will ask you to choose a payment method. Available options may include Net Banking, Debit Card, Payment Gateway, NEFT/RTGS and Pay at Bank Counter, depending on the applicable facility and bank availability.
Choose your preferred payment method and continue.
Step 8: Review and Generate the Challan
Before generating the challan, the portal will display a preview of the details you have entered. Carefully verify:
- PAN and taxpayer name.
- Applicable Income Tax Act and tax period.
- Major head and minor head.
- Type of payment as Advance Tax.
- Tax amount and other breakup details.
- Selected payment method.
If everything is correct, proceed to generate the Challan Reference Number (CRN). Once generated, the challan cannot be edited, and you cannot change its payment method. If you need to make a correction, you will have to generate a new challan.
Step 9: Complete the Advance Tax Payment
After generating the challan, follow the instructions displayed for your selected payment method. For example, if you choose Net Banking, the portal will redirect you to the selected bank's website.
Log in to your bank account, verify the payment amount and authorise the transaction. Do not close the payment page before the bank completes the transaction and displays the payment confirmation.
After successful payment, the portal generates a challan receipt containing the payment details.
How to Pay Advance Tax After Logging In
If you already have an account on the Income Tax e-Filing portal, you can generate an advance tax challan after logging in. This method also makes it easier to view your previous challans and payment history.
Follow these steps:
Step 1: Log In to the Income Tax Portal
Open the Income Tax e-Filing portal and click Login. Enter your User ID, password and complete the required authentication.
Step 2: Open the e-Pay Tax Service
After logging in, open the e-File menu from your dashboard and select e-Pay Tax.
The portal will take you to the e-Pay Tax section, where you can access your saved drafts, generated challans and payment history.
Step 3: Select the Applicable Income Tax Act
Choose the Income Tax Act applicable to your payment. For Tax Year 2026-27 onwards, select the Income-tax Act, 2025. For payments relating to Assessment Year 2026-27 and earlier years, select the Income-tax Act, 1961, wherever applicable.
Click Continue to proceed.
Step 4: Start a New Payment
On the e-Pay Tax page, click the New Payment option. The portal will display the available tax payment categories.
Select the Income Tax or Corporation Tax category, as applicable to your taxpayer type, and click Proceed.
Step 5: Enter the Advance Tax Details
Select Advance Tax as the Type of Payment. The corresponding minor head is 100.
Enter the amount in the appropriate field under Tax Breakup Details. Also verify the major head displayed for your taxpayer category:
- 0021 – Income Tax (Other than Companies): For individuals and other non-company taxpayers.
- 0020 – Corporation Tax: For companies.
Review the payment details and proceed to the next screen.
Step 6: Choose the Payment Method
Select one of the available payment methods. The portal will display the relevant options based on the selected category and available banking facilities.
After choosing a payment method, click Continue.
Step 7: Verify the Challan Details
The portal will display a preview of your challan. Check the PAN, tax period, payment type, major and minor heads, tax amount and selected payment method.
If the details are correct, proceed to generate the challan and complete the payment.
Step 8: Complete the Transaction
Follow the instructions for your selected payment method. Complete the transaction through your bank or the relevant payment service.
Once the payment succeeds, download the challan receipt and keep it for your records. You can also access the receipt later through the Payment History section.
Which Payment Methods Can You Use to Deposit Advance Tax?
The e-Pay Tax facility supports different payment methods. The options available to you may depend on the selected bank and payment facility.
1. Net Banking
Net Banking allows you to pay advance tax directly through your bank account. Select this option while generating the challan, choose an available bank and continue to its payment page.
Log in to your bank account and authorise the transaction. After successful payment, return to the Income Tax portal and check the payment confirmation.
2. Debit Card
You can use the Debit Card option if your bank is available for this payment facility. Select the bank and follow the instructions displayed on the payment screen.
If your bank does not appear in the direct Debit Card list, check whether the Payment Gateway option supports your card.
3. Payment Gateway
The Payment Gateway facility may allow you to pay through Credit Card, Debit Card, UPI or Net Banking, depending on the selected gateway and its supported payment options.
Select Payment Gateway while generating the challan. Review the available gateways and applicable transaction charges before choosing one. The gateway will redirect you to its payment page to complete the transaction.
4. NEFT or RTGS
You can also deposit advance tax through NEFT or RTGS using the mandate form generated by the portal.
Select the NEFT/RTGS option during challan generation. Download or print the mandate form and follow the bank's instructions to transfer the amount using the beneficiary details mentioned in the mandate.
Check the payment status on the Income Tax portal after completing the bank transfer.
5. Pay at Bank Counter
If you prefer to pay through a bank branch, select the Pay at Bank Counter option, where available. Choose the bank and payment instrument offered on the portal, such as cash, cheque or demand draft.
Generate and print the challan form, then visit a branch of the selected bank to submit the payment. The bank will process the payment and provide the relevant acknowledgement.
Under the official payment instructions, cash payments through this facility are subject to a maximum limit of ₹10,000 per challan. Check the portal's current instructions before visiting the bank.
How to Download the Advance Tax Payment Receipt
After completing the advance tax payment, you should download and save the challan receipt. It serves as proof of payment and contains important transaction details.
If you have completed the payment but did not download the receipt immediately, you can retrieve it through the e-Pay Tax section.
- Visit the Income Tax e-Filing portal.
- Log in using your PAN/User ID and password.
- Open e-File > e-Pay Tax.
- Go to the Payment History tab.
- Find the relevant advance tax transaction.
- Open the payment details and download the challan receipt.
The receipt contains details such as the Challan Identification Number (CIN), BSR Code, payment date and other transaction information. Save a copy for your financial records.
How to Check Advance Tax Payment Status Online
You can verify whether your advance tax payment has been completed through the Payment History section of the e-Pay Tax service.
Follow these steps:
- Open the Income Tax e-Filing portal and log in to your account.
- Navigate to e-File > e-Pay Tax.
- Open the Payment History tab.
- Find the challan using its payment details or reference number.
- Check the status displayed against the transaction.
After successful payment, the challan status should show PAID. The portal also generates a Challan Identification Number (CIN), which appears in the challan receipt.
If the payment has been completed but the status has not changed, do not immediately make another payment. First, check your bank account and transaction details, then follow the official guidance for pending or unsuccessful transactions.
What to Do If Advance Tax Payment Fails or Remains Pending?
Sometimes the bank account gets debited, but the Income Tax portal does not immediately update the challan status. In other cases, the payment may fail or the transaction may remain pending.
Take the following steps before attempting another payment:
- Check your bank account: Confirm whether the amount was actually debited.
- Check Payment History: Log in to the portal and see whether the challan status has changed to PAID.
- Wait for reconciliation: If the amount was debited but the status is not updated, follow the time guidance provided in the official e-Pay Tax FAQ. The portal advises checking again after 30 minutes and allowing up to one day for reconciliation where necessary.
- Contact your bank: If the transaction remains unresolved, contact the bank through which you initiated the payment.
- Check before paying again: Avoid making a second payment until you have checked the first transaction's status.
If you need to use a different payment method after generating a challan, remember that the portal does not allow you to change the payment mode in an existing challan. You will need to generate a new challan.
Important Links
| Service | Official Link |
|---|---|
| Income Tax e-Filing Portal | Open Portal |
| e-Pay Tax Service | View Service Guide |
| Advance Tax Challan (ITNS 280N) Information | View Official FAQs |
| Challan Generation User Manual | Read User Manual |
| Available Tax Payment Methods | View Payment Methods |
| e-Pay Tax FAQs | Read FAQs |
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