Online Tax Accounting System (OLTAS) TDS Challan Status Enquiry

Income Tax

OLTAS (Online Tax Accounting System) is a method for online reporting, accounting and collection of tax payments along with receipts from taxpayers through a chain of bank branches. Digital tracking of e-challans and challans for assessees is an advantage of this structure. 

OLTAS offers only 1 challan to a taxpayer with a torn-off strip, rather than the classic system’s 3 challans. A taxpayer’s data gets transferred from bank branches to the TIN (Tax Information Network). NSDL regulates TIN for proper management of details related to challans between banks and the IT Department. 

Reason for Introducing OLTAS Challan 

Earlier, SBI branches or RBI would collect direct taxes manually. Other PSU banks were also engaged in raising the count of tax collecting centres. The accounting procedure concerning direct taxes got special attention to satisfy taxpayers. However, this manual system of tax accounting and collection was somewhat difficult to operate and involved many flaws.

In June 2004, OLTAS was launched to reduce issues related to the physical accounting and collection of direct taxes. It emerged from a technological revolution and innovation that substituted electronic systems with manual processes.

OLTAS will serve these purposes:

• Reporting of direct tax payments and receipts online
• Collecting direct taxes online 
• Direct tax accounting (online)

Characteristics of OLTAS

OLTAS has these features:

1. A single challan for a taxpayer with a tear-off counterfoil:

As per this system, taxpayers should utilise only 1 challan for the below-mentioned purposes:

• Deposit of TCS (Tax Collected at Source) and TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) 
• Payment for equalisation levy
• Deposit of income tax and corporate taxes
• Direct tax payments such as securities transaction tax, estate duty, expenditure tax, wealth tax, hotel receipts tax, and gift tax
• Payments according to the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) 
• For paying towards fringe and banking cash transaction tax 
• Payments under IDS (Income Declaration Scheme) of 2016 

2. You can pay any kind of taxes such as TCS, income tax, direct tax and TDS from an OLTAS-linked bank branch/ via debit card/ through net banking.

As you pay taxes, you’ll receive a tear-off part of your receipt with the collecting bank’s stamp. If you make your payment online, a challan gets generated instantly. Your CIN (Challan Identification Number) covers the following details:

• 5-digit unique serial number of your challan on the stated date in the bank branch 
• Date of tax challan presentation 
• The seven-digit BSR code that the RBI assigned to your bank branch (through which you have deposited your tax) 

4. You can track the status of your tax payments anytime, anywhere. The procedure remains the same for TDS payment and direct tax payment. 

Procedure to Pay Taxes via OLTAS

Follow the steps below to make tax payments online via the OLTAS website:

Step 1: Go to the official portal of TIN-NSDL. 

Step 2: Select the drop-down button from ‘Services’ and choose the e-payment option. 

Step 3: Now, you can view the payment gateway, in which you can furnish your challan number for the tax payment.      

Step 4: From ‘Taxes Applicable’, choose the major head code.

Step 5: Furnish the relevant details in the form with your PAN and the AY (assessment year).

Step 6: Your screen will display details related to your PAN.

Step 7: Enter your personal details such as phone number, email ID, and registered address.

Step 8: Choose the required minor head code from ‘Type of Payment’.

Step 9: After you select your payment mode (net banking/debit card), a drop-down box will display your bank. 

Step 10: Type your CAPTCHA code and proceed.

Once you submit this form, the validation screen will display your PAN details. If this information is correct, choose ‘Submit’ and complete the procedure. You are now directed to the payment portal of your bank.    

Check TDS Challan Status

Go through the pointers below to know how to track the status of your TDS challan:

• A deductor’s TAN or CIN monitors the status of your TDS challan.
• You can use CIN-based views to track your tax payment status. Similarly, you can utilise TAN and CIN-based views to track your TDS challan status. 
• Once you deposit the challan at your bank branch, you can access its online status a week later. 
• You must contact your bank branch if there are no records of your payment or in the case of any mismatch in the details. 
• If you haven’t got a proper response to your query, you may contact NSDL.  

Kinds of Challan View

You can view OLTAS challan in the following ways:

CIN-Based View

• Go to the official website of OLTAS.
•  Under the head ‘For Taxpayers’, choose ‘CIN-based view’.
• Furnish your CIN, which is your collecting bank branch’s BSR (Basic Statistical Return) code.
• Further, enter your challan serial number, challan tender date (cheque/cash deposit date) and tax amount (optional). 

When you choose the option, you can view the following details:

• Your name 
• PAN/TAN
• Major head code 
• Challan serial number 
• Deposit date 
• BSR code 
• Confirmation related to the right amount being furnished (if you have entered the amount)
• Date when TIN received it 

TAN-Based View

• Go to the official website of OLTAS. 
• Under the head ‘For Taxpayers’, choose ‘TAN-based view’
• Furnish the date range for challan tender (within 24 months) and the relevant time period’s TAN.

As you choose this option, you can download a text file covering the following information:

• Nature of payment
• Minor head code
• Major head code 
• CIN 

The procedure examines whether your bank’s CIN matches with your CIN as you submit your tax amount.  You can check the challan data specified in the quarterly TCS/e-TDS statement through this file. 

For verifying your challan data, you should import the text file (quarterly TCS/e-TDS statement) and the challan file in the FVU (File Validation Utility). After confirmation of the quarterly TCS/e-TDS statement, FVU will provide the matching information for the challan data mentioned in the TCS/e-TDS statement.  

Note: 

• Minor head code: 400: TCS/TDS/Tax on assessment tax, 200: TCS/TDS payable by you    
• Major head code: 0021: non-company deductees/income tax (except for companies), 0020: company deductees/corporation tax

Also Read: Taxation On Dividend Income Of Different Mutual Fund Instruments

Status Check for Bank Branches

For checking the status of the challans deposited through bank branches, nodal branches, and tax collecting branches, should sign in using their user ID and password. 

Nodal bank branch

A nodal branch can get the below-mentioned data after furnishing the nodal with scroll date and major head code:

• Number of challans
• Number of branches 
• Total amount 
• Scroll date 
• Major head code (details)
• Scroll number for the nodal branch 

For every branch scroll number, the following details are accessible:

• Date on which TIN received it 
• Number of challans 
• Total amount 
• Branch scroll date 
• Branch scroll number
• BSR code 

Collecting Bank Branch 

For every major head code, a collecting branch can view the number of challans and the total amount after furnishing the major head code and the scroll date. Further, it can access the following details:

• Date on which TIN received it 
• Amount 
• Name of taxpayer 
• TAN/PAN 
• Challan tender date 
• Challan serial number 

Also Read: Understanding Section 9 Of The Income Tax Act

Final Word

The Online Tax Accounting System has streamlined the procedure of accounting, collecting, and paying taxes for the target population. It involves fewer defaults and better tracking. Hopefully, you have now understood how OLTAS functions in India. 

FAQs On OLTAS TDS Challan Status Enquiry

Before you go…

• Looking for instant 🚀 personal loans 24*7 anywhere, anytime? Get personal loans up to ₹20 lakh starting at 9.9% p.a. Install the Navi app now!!
• Or, maybe you’re looking to buy that house you’ve been eyeing 🏠 and you need a loan of up to ₹5 crore. Install the Navi app now and get instant in-principle approval right away! Interest rates starting at 7.89% p.a.
• How about an affordable health insurance policy👨‍⚕️ starting at a monthly premium of just ₹235? Install the Navi app now and get your policy in under 2 minutes.
• Instead, want to put your savings into action and kick-start your investment journey 💸 But don’t have time to do research. Invest now with Navi Nifty 50 Index Fund, sit back, and earn from the top 50 companies.

Disclaimer: Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme-related documents carefully.

This article has been prepared on the basis of internal data, publicly available information and other sources believed to be reliable. The information contained in this article is for general purposes only and not a complete disclosure of every material fact. It should not be construed as investment advice to any party. The article does not warrant the completeness or accuracy of the information, and disclaims all liabilities, losses and damages arising out of the use of this information. Readers shall be fully liable/responsible for any decision taken on the basis of this article.