Unable pay Self Assessment Tax - Netbanking and Debit Card payments in EPay portal on the blink

If the e-Pay Tax portal is failing to show banks or process payments, do not panic. Try using a different browser, or opt for the RTGS/NEFT payment mode to generate a mandate form and pay through your own banking app. Document any errors with screenshots to protect yourself against potential interest claims.

@ Aashok ji

Thanks. 

But we prefer netbanking or Debit card payments to rule out making mistakes [big headache later] by leaving the Epay portal after creating a mandate form and then later fill up manually the details later for making payments or visit a bank PHYSICALLY and waste 5 hours.

In any case, the problem mentioned by me seems to be due to overloading of TRACES 2 portal for tax payments.

The Netbanking and Debit Card payments banks list disappear & reappear time to time and we were able to pay the Self Assessment Tax through Netbanking with our choice of banks.

Glad you were able to make the payment. I paid the self-assesment tax yesterday morning 09.58 AM through SBI netbanking.There was absolutely no problem. Everything went smoothly. Immediately after payment I also received an SMS from AX-ITDCPC and also an email confirmation acknowledging successful payment. Your problem might have been due weak internet signal or so I surmise.

@ Devenathan M

Glad you could pay your Self Assessment Tax by Netbanking since all banks were showing up at that moment.

Hope you immediately downloaded the Challan [ it is the receipt showing BSR Code, Serial Number, Date and  Amount paid ]. You would need the info in the Challan for filing your return. The SMS and email acknowledgement does not provide the vital info for filling up the TDS Schedule in the ITR and AIS can take weeks to show the payment.

Regarding Netbanking or Debit Card payment Banks list not showing up occasionally, it is not due to my poor internet connection but due to overloading of TRACES 2 portal for the payments. I have verified it before highlighting the problem in the Forum [hoping the CPC, TRACES System staff would take note and correct the issue].

This is a known issue during peak filing season. The EPay portal (eportal.incometax.gov.in/ePay) gets overloaded in July as millions of taxpayers try to pay SAT before the July 31 deadline. Steps to fix:

1. TRY DIFFERENT PAYMENT MODE: If netbanking and debit card are failing, try NEFT/RTGS payment. On the EPay portal, select NEFT/RTGS option. You will get a challan with beneficiary bank details. You then do the NEFT from your bank's internet banking to the Income Tax Account. This bypasses the EPay portal entirely.
2. TRY DIFFERENT TIME: EPay portal is less loaded between 11 PM and 7 AM. Try late night or early morning.
3. USE BANK PORTAL DIRECTLY: Some banks (SBI, HDFC, ICICI, Axis) have direct TDS/tax payment options in their internet banking. Search for CBDT tax payment or Challan 280 payment in your bank's internet banking. This connects directly to NSDL without going through the EPay portal.
4. OFFLINE PAYMENT AT BANK BRANCH: Fill Challan 280 manually (available on nsdl.com) and pay at any authorised bank branch. The challan gets stamped and you get BSR code and serial number immediately.

IMPORTANT: If you pay via NEFT or bank branch, note the BSR code and challan serial number. Enter these in your ITR under Taxes Paid schedule before submitting.

Deadline reminder: SAT must be paid and ITR filed by July 31, 2026 for salaried individuals. Interest under Section 234B applies on unpaid tax beyond July 31.

For understanding all penalty implications of late payment: [True Cost of Late GST and TDS Filing Penalties India 2026](https://taxgarden.in/blog/true-cost-late-gst-tds-roc-filing-penalties-india-2026)