Intimation u/s 245 is issued by the Income Tax Department to inform you that they are adjusting your previous year’s pending tax payable with the current year’s refund.
Section 245 gives the Income Tax Department power to adjust any previous year’s demand of tax payable with the current year’s refund. But to exercise this power, it’s mandatory on their part to send intimation u/s 245 to the taxpayers and allow them to submit their response on it whether they agree with it.
For example, Income Tax Department had raised a demand for tax of Rs 21,000 from Mr. Sharma in the F.Y. 2012-13 after he filed his return. Mr. Sharma did not agree with the demand as the department did not consider his TDS. So, he simply filed for rectification u/s 154 and lived peacefully thereafter.
Then came F.Y. 2016-17; Mr. Sharma, like every year, filed his return, but this time with a refund of Rs 15,000. But instead of getting a refund, he got an intimation from the Income Tax Department u/s 245 stating that his refund of Rs 15,000 was being adjusted with the demand raised by the department in the F.Y. 2012-13. This gave Mr. Sharma the goosebumps of the F.Y. 2012-13 when he struggled with that dreaded demand of Rs 21,000 and, after consulting with professionals, filed a rectification u/s 154. Apparently, Income Tax Department did not agree with the rectification u/s 154 at that time, and the demand still remained.
Once you receive the Intimation u/s 245, read it in and out and check all the details along with the time mentioned within which you can take any action (generally, it’s 30 days) because if you do not take any action, then the outstanding demand as on that date will be considered for adjustment against your refund.
There are two possibilities, either you agree to the outstanding demand, or you do not.
In any case, it’s advisable that you take the advice of a Chartered Accountant before taking any action.
Step 1 : Login into your income tax portal with your user id and password.
Step 2 : Go to the 'Pending Actions ' tab-> Response to outstanding demand
Step 3 : Given below screen will display, and you can check the details from here.
Step 1 : Login into your income tax portal with your user id and password.
Step 2 : Select the option of Pending Actions -> Response to Outstanding Tax Demand
Step 3 : Click on submit a response
Step 4 : After submitting, you will be taken to the given below screen, and 2 options will be displayed.
If the assessees select “Demand is correct,” a pop-up is displayed below. Click on submit button, and a confirmation message is displayed on the screen for accepting the demand and –
If a refund is due, the outstanding amount and the interest will be adjusted against the refund due. Otherwise, you must pay the demand immediately.
Step 1 : If the assessees select “Disagree with Demand,” Then Click “Add Reasons”.
Step 2 : Select from the options and click Apply. (You can select one or more options.)
Step 3 : After selecting the appropriate reasons for your disagreement, select each reason you listed in Step 2 on the Response to Outstanding Amount page and enter the appropriate details for each reason.
Note: Completed status will be displayed against the reason for which you have submitted the details.
If no action is taken within 30 days of this notice u/s 245, the outstanding demand will be considered for adjustment against your refund after considering interest on demand. Interest shall be charged on principal demand pending of relevant assessment year. The interest demand will be adjusted against the refund without any confirmation from the assessee.
Step 1 : Login into your income tax portal with your user id and password.
Step 2 : Select the My Profile in Profile Icon
Step 3 : Click on Jurisdiction details, and given below screen will appear
Since the response is being made online, separate compliances in responding to the Assessing Officer are only required if and when specifically asked to do so by the Income Tax Department.