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.
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:
OLTAS has these features:
As per this system, taxpayers should utilise only 1 challan for the below-mentioned purposes:
3. Unique serial number and a receipt:
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:
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.
Go through the pointers below to know how to track the status of your TDS challan:
You can view OLTAS challan in the following ways:
When you choose the option, you can view the following details:
As you choose this option, you can download a text file covering the following information:
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:
Also Read: Taxation On Dividend Income Of Different Mutual Fund Instruments
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.
A nodal branch can get the below-mentioned data after furnishing the nodal with scroll date and major head code:
For every branch scroll number, the following details are accessible:
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:
Also Read: Understanding Section 9 Of The Income Tax Act
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.
Ans: The below-mentioned institutions worked together to bring forth OLTAS in India:
The Reserve Bank of India
The Controller of Accounts
The Indian Banks Association
The Central Board of Direct Taxes
All taxpayers can utilise this procedure to report, account and collect their tax receipts online.
Ans: OLTAS came into force in three phases and presently offers authority to thirty-two banks from the commercial and public sectors. Initially, it worked with the data related to tax details. However, after April 2005, the banks had to reconcile regular tax collections with the data and information TIN obtained from these banks.
Ans: Any interaction with the IT Department or your ITR takes into account the CIN (Challan Identification Number) as your tax payment proof. CIN has discarded the need to furnish hard copies of income tax receipts.
Ans: You have to use ITNS 281 Challan to deposit TCS (Tax Collected at Source) and TDS (Tax Deposited at Source). Further, you will be using ITNS 282 Challan for depositing estate duty, securities transaction tax, wealth tax, expenditure tax, and other forms of direct taxes.
Ans: NSDL (National Securities Depository Limited) provides the FVU (File Validation Utility) that examines whether the structure of your challan file is proper and correct. For uploading tax payment details, the IT Department has created a special file format.
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