In India, paying income tax has become easier than ever before, thanks to the option of making payments through UPI-enabled apps like Paytm, PhonePe, and Google Pay. The Income Tax Department’s e-filing portal allows individuals to pay advance tax, self-assessment tax, and other direct taxes quickly and efficiently, with no need for a branch visit or complex net-banking setup.
Here’s how you can pay your income tax using UPI in just a few simple steps:
Visit incometax.gov.in and log in with your PAN (as your user ID) and password. Once on your dashboard, click on e-Pay Tax. If you’re not logged in, you can still access the e-Pay Tax option directly from the homepage, but logging in allows for easier tracking of your payment receipt later.
After accessing e-Pay Tax, select New Payment. From the drop-down menu, choose the correct tax type — typically, individuals select either Advance Tax or Self-assessment Tax. Then, enter the required payment amount and ensure your PAN and name are correct before proceeding. After confirming the details, the portal generates a challan, which will display the due amount and available payment modes.
Select UPI as the payment mode. The portal will then display a QR code (and sometimes a UPI ID). Open your UPI app of choice — Paytm, PhonePe, or Google Pay — and tap Scan & Pay. Scan the QR code, verify the amount, and authorise the payment using your UPI PIN. Keep the app open until you see the payment successful confirmation.
Return to the e-filing portal, where the status of your payment should change to Paid within a minute or two. To confirm, go to Payment History and download the challan receipt. This receipt will contain your Challan Identification Number (CIN) and Unique Transaction Reference (UTR), which serve as proof of payment. Be sure to save the PDF and email it to yourself for future reference.
If your UPI payment shows as successful, but the portal still indicates pending, don’t panic. Wait for 30-60 minutes and refresh your Payment History. If the status remains pending, check your bank statement to see if the payment was debited. If the amount was debited but the challan isn’t generated, raise a ticket on the portal or contact your bank/UPI app support using the UTR. In most cases, failed UPI tax payments are automatically reversed within a short period.
Double-check the assessment year and tax type before proceeding with payment.
Ensure your UPI-linked bank account has sufficient balance and is KYC-compliant.
Keep the browser tab open until you see the payment successful message and can download the receipt.
Store the challan PDF, UPI transaction ID, and bank SMS together — you’ll need them when filing your tax returns or if the department requests proof.
Paying income tax through UPI apps like Paytm, PhonePe, or Google Pay is a seamless process once you understand the flow. Simply create the challan on the portal, select UPI as your payment mode, authorise the payment in your app, and download the receipt. By following these easy steps and keeping proper records, you can complete your tax payment in minutes without any hassle.
