GST Refund Delayed? Use RTI for the Processing Trail

Check This First

• Track on the GST portal: log in → Services → Refunds → Track Application Status. Note the ARN, filing date and current stage - every RTI ask below anchors on the ARN.
• Check for a deficiency memo (RFD-03): if one was issued, the clock restarted and a fresh application is expected - many “stuck” refunds are actually awaiting a reply to a memo the applicant never noticed.
• Confirm your jurisdiction: your refund sits with either the Central (CGST Commissionerate) or State GST office - the “Administered by” detail on your registration decides where the RTI goes.
• Raise a portal grievance (self-service grievance on the GST portal) and keep the ticket number - its fate is also something the RTI can ask about.

What an RTI Can Ask (the processing trail)

• The current status of refund application ARN ________ dated ________ (Form RFD-01), and the stage at which it is pending, as on record.
• Whether an acknowledgment (RFD-02) or deficiency memo (RFD-03) was issued on the said application - with copies and dates, as on record.
• The officer/formation with whom the application is currently pending, and the date it was received there, as on record.
• Whether any provisional refund order (RFD-04) or final refund sanction/rejection order (RFD-06) has been passed - with copy and date, as on record.
• The date-wise movement of the application from filing to date, as on record.
• Whether interest under Section 56 of the CGST Act has been computed on the said refund, and the amount, as on record.

The Limit - Stated Plainly

RTI cannot sanction the refund, and it cannot substitute the remedies the GST law itself provides - the deficiency-memo reply, the appeal against a rejection order, or the grievance channels. What it does is convert “pending” into a dated, written account: who holds the file, since when, and what (if anything) is recorded against it. That record is what an escalation, a grievance, or a professional’s follow-up needs to bite.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Sending the RTI to the GST portal/GSTN helpdesk - the portal is the system, not the public authority deciding your refund. Address the PIO of your jurisdictional CGST Commissionerate or State GST office.
• Not quoting the ARN - without it, the reply will be a shrug on paper.
• Asking “when will I get my refund” - ask for the status, the memos, the movement and the officer, as on record.
• Ignoring a deficiency memo - if RFD-03 was issued, answering it moves the refund; no RTI substitutes that step.

Common Questions

The portal has shown "pending with tax officer" for months. Is that legal?

The CGST Act provides 60 days from receipt of a complete application for the refund order (Section 54(7)), and interest on refunds delayed beyond that period (Section 56). Whether your application is “complete” - or a deficiency memo reset the clock - is exactly what the RTI puts on record.

My refund was rejected but I never received a reasoned order. Can RTI help?

Yes - ask for a copy of the rejection order (RFD-06) and the noting/reasons recorded on your application, as on record. The order is also what your appeal will be built on, so obtaining it formally matters.

Central or State GST - where does my RTI go?

To the PIO of the administration your registration is assigned to (“Administered by” on your registration details). If you address the wrong one, Section 6(3) of the RTI Act requires transfer to the right authority - but it costs time, so check first.

How FileMyRTI Helps

We choose the right route first. If your refund just needs a deficiency-memo reply or a portal grievance, we will say so. If the file has genuinely gone silent, we draft the processing-trail RTI with your ARN and jurisdiction details, addressed to the right PIO. Apply below, or book a guided session (Rs. 499). Related: DBT payment missing.