Latest Updates on e-Pay Tax Service for Income Tax Returns

The Income Tax (I-T) department has released the latest list of banks that are mapped to the e-Pay tax service at the e-Filing Portal, making it easier for taxpayers to file their income tax returns. Recently, two banks were added to this list: Tamilnad Mercantile Bank, which was included on March 5, 2025, and IDFC First Bank, added on November 27, 2024. Additionally, Dhanlaxmi Bank joined the list on June 26, 2024.

Authorised Banks for e-Pay Tax Service

The following banks currently support tax payments via the e-Pay tax service at the e-Filing portal:

What is e-Pay Tax Service?

The e-Pay tax service on the e-Filing portal encompasses an entire chain of activities related to the payment of direct taxes. This includes generating the challan (Challan Reference Number – CRN), making the payment, and recording the payment history, all facilitated through the e-Filing portal for authorized banks. The filing of Forms 26QB/26QC/26QD/26QE is also available under this functionality.

Modes of Payment

Taxpayers have access to a variety of payment methods when paying their income tax via these banks, including:

What If You Have an Account in a Non-Authorised Bank?

Although all payments via authorized banks must be made through the e-Filing portal, taxpayers can still make payments through non-authorized banks using NEFT/RTGS and the payment gateway at the e-Pay Tax service on the e-Filing portal.

Accessing e-Pay Tax Functionality

To access the e-Pay Tax functionality, taxpayers can visit incometax.gov.in/iec/foportal/ where this service is available both in pre-login (under quick links on the homepage) and post-login modes.

Importance of Generating a Challan (CRN)

It is essential to create a challan (CRN) for tax payment when using the e-Pay tax service on the e-Filing portal. Each generated challan will have a unique Challan Reference Number (CRN) associated with it, which is necessary for tracking and verification purposes.

By staying updated with these changes and utilizing the e-Pay tax service effectively, taxpayers can streamline their tax payment processes and adhere to regulations efficiently.