2 years
Time limit to claim
From the relevant date - after that it is gone
Crores recovered - 90% provisional in 7 days for eligible claims
GST Refund Services - Get Your Blocked Working Capital Back
Exporters, manufacturers and sellers leave lakhs unclaimed in their GST ledgers. We file deficiency-proof claims and track them until the money hits your bank.
- Every refund type - exports, ITC, inverted duty, excess payment
- Deficiency-proof documentation (RFD-03 prevention)
- Rule 89 formula calculations done right the first time
- RFD-08 show-cause replies within the 15-day window
- Tracking and follow-up until credit, not just till filing
Recovery-focused GST support
Helping exporters, sellers and manufacturers recover blocked capital
7 days
90% provisional refund
For eligible export and inverted-duty claims
60 days
Maximum processing time
Beyond this, the department owes YOU interest
15 days
Show-cause reply window
Miss it and the claim is rejected
What is a GST refund?
A GST refund is the return of excess tax paid, accumulated input tax credit (ITC), or surplus electronic cash ledger balance to a registered taxpayer, claimed through Form RFD-01 on the GST portal within two years of the relevant date under Section 54 of the CGST Act.
Most claims fall into three families: zero-rated exports and SEZ supplies, accumulated ITC including inverted duty, and excess payments or cash ledger balances.
Refund money is your working capital sitting idle in the government's ledger. It earns nothing for your business until the claim is filed, defended, sanctioned, and credited.
WHOSE MONEY IS STUCK
If any of these is you, you likely have a refund waiting
Goods exporters
IGST paid on exports refunds via ICEGATE; LUT exporters claim accumulated ITC.
Service & SaaS exporters
LUT route plus FIRC/BRC documentation; monthly claims keep cash flowing.
Manufacturers in inverted duty
Inputs taxed at 18%, output at 5-12%? That gap can become refundable ITC.
E-commerce sellers
TCS deductions and accumulated ITC pile up across states.
See seller refundsSEZ suppliers
Supplies to SEZ units or developers are zero-rated; refund can be claimed by supplier or unit.
Anyone who overpaid
Wrong head, double payment, or excess cash ledger - all may be recoverable.
EVERY REFUND TYPE
All 11 GST refund services we handle
Export & Zero-Rated Refunds
ITC & Structural Refunds
Input Tax Credit (ITC) RefundRecover eligible accumulated ITC from your ledger.Inverted Duty Structure RefundRule 89(5) formula-led refund computation and filing.Excess GST Payment RefundWrong, double, or excess payment recovery.GST Refund for E-commerce SellersFor SellersSeller refund review across marketplaces and states.
PICK YOUR ROUTE
Export with IGST vs Export under LUT - which refund route fits you?
Exporters choose between two routes. The right one depends on your cash flow and business type.
| Factor | IGST Payment Route | RecommendedLUT Route |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Pay IGST on exports, claim it back | Export without paying tax under LUT, claim accumulated ITC |
| Refund application | Shipping bill auto-acts as the claim for goods; RFD-01 for services | RFD-01 with Statement 3A or 3B |
| Speed | 90% provisional within 7 days for goods | Up to 60 days, monthly claims possible |
| Cash flow impact | IGST blocked upfront until refund | No tax outflow - capital stays with you |
| Best for | Established goods exporters with liquidity | SaaS, service exporters, freelancers, working-capital-sensitive businesses |
| Key documents | Shipping bills, GSTR-1 export data | Active LUT, FIRC/BRC, ITC statements |
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Not sure which structure fits your business? Our experts can recommend the right entity based on your goals, funding plans, and compliance preferences.
Talk to an expertNot sure which route fits your numbers? We will model both against your cash flow before you file.
Talk to a refund expertDECODE THE FORMS
The RFD lifecycle - what each form means for your money
Your refund travels through a chain of RFD forms. Knowing what each one means is the difference between recovery and rejection.
RFD-01 to ARN
Your claim, filed with statements and proofs. Generates an ARN - your tracking number from day one.
RFD-03: the application killer
A Deficiency Memo does not pause your claim - it closes it permanently. You re-file from scratch.
RFD-04: 90% provisional
Eligible export and inverted-duty claims get 90% credited provisionally within 7 days of acknowledgment.
RFD-06 final order - or RFD-08 first
RFD-08 is a show-cause notice with a 15-day reply window. Answer well and RFD-06 sanctions your refund.
RECOVERY PROCESS
How we recover your refund - filing to bank credit
- 1
Eligibility and quantum assessment
Step 1We compute what is actually claimable across periods before filing.
- 2
Route selection
Step 2IGST, LUT, ITC, inverted duty, or excess payment route is mapped to the claim.
- 3
Documentation pack
Step 3Invoices, shipping bills, FIRC/BRC, LUT, statements, and returns are cross-matched.
- 4
RFD-01 filed
Step 4The claim is filed and ARN generated for tracking.
- 5
Acknowledgment and provisional tracking
Step 5We track RFD-02 acknowledgment and RFD-04 provisional refund where eligible.
- 6
Query and notice handling
Step 6If RFD-08 is issued, we prepare the reply within the 15-day window.
- 7
Final order and bank credit
Step 7RFD-06 sanction is tracked through bank credit, with interest claim review if 60 days were crossed.
DOCUMENTS BY REFUND TYPE
What your claim needs - by refund category
- Shipping bills
- Export invoices
- GSTR-1 export tables
- e-BRC where applicable
- FIRC or BRC - mandatory proof of foreign remittance
- Export invoices
- Active LUT
- Agreement or SOW copies
- ITC ledger extracts
- GSTR-2B downloads
- Input/output rate mapping
- Rule 89(5) computation sheet
- Supplier invoices
- Challan copies
- Electronic cash ledger extract
- Proof of double or wrong payment
- Bank statement
Missing FIRC/BRC is the top reason service-export refunds stall. We chase your bank for these certificates as part of the engagement.
RESCUE CASES
Stuck refunds we rescue every month
When
Got an RFD-03 deficiency memo
The issue
Original application closed permanently, re-filing needed before the 2-year clock runs.
We do
We rebuild the claim deficiency-proof and re-file fast.
When
Refund pending 6+ months
The issue
No officer response, capital locked, no idea whom to chase.
We do
We escalate, follow up, and claim the interest owed past 60 days.
When
Claim rejected on Rule 89(5) math
The issue
Inverted-duty formula was computed wrong by a previous filer.
We do
We recompute correctly with Statement 1A and re-file for approval.
When
FIRC/BRC missing
The issue
Service-export refund held for want of remittance proof.
We do
We coordinate with your bank, compile certificates, and unblock the claim.
PRICING
Refund recovery pricing
Refund engagements can be structured success-aligned - we win when you recover. Exact terms in consultation.
Per-Claim Filing
Fixed-fee refund filing for clean export refund claims.
Rs.____
- Eligibility and quantum review
- RFD-01 filing support
- Document checklist
- RFD-08 notice reply
- Interest claim follow-up
Success-Aligned
Lower fixed fee plus percentage on recovered amount.
Custom
- Everything in Per-Claim Filing
- Deficiency-memo prevention review
- Officer follow-up
- Notice reply support
- Tracking until bank credit
DIY VS EXPERT RECOVERY
One wrong statement closes the claim. Permanently.
Filing it yourself
- Choosing among 10+ refund categories and statements solo
- Rule 89(4)/89(5) turnover and ITC formulas computed by hand
- One documentation gap means RFD-03 and permanent application closure
- RFD-08 show-cause reply drafted in panic inside 15 days
- No one chasing the officer when 60 days pass silently
Filing with ComplyLocal
- Right category, right statement, right formula - first time
- Claims cross-matched against GSTR-1/2B/3B before filing
- Deficiency-proof documentation standard
- Notices answered by practitioners within the window
- Follow-up till bank credit, plus interest claims on department delay
CLAIM FAILURE POINTS
Why refund claims die - and how we keep yours alive
The risk
Wrong refund category selected
A claim processed under the wrong head gets rejected outright.
How we handle it
Category is mapped to your exact scenario before filing.
The risk
GSTR-1 / 3B / 2B mismatches
Data inconsistencies trigger deficiency memos and rejection.
How we handle it
We perform three-way reconciliation before every claim.
The risk
Incomplete attachments
Missing statements or undertakings can lead to RFD-03 and permanent closure.
How we handle it
Documentation follows a checklist for each refund type.
The risk
Capital goods ITC included
Restricted credits inflate the claim and invite scrutiny.
How we handle it
Claims are computed net of restricted ITC per rules.
The risk
2-year deadline missed
Eligible refunds lapse forever after limitation expires.
How we handle it
We scan multiple periods so nothing expires unclaimed.
Recovery feedback
Refund claims tracked until money moves
Stories from businesses that wanted their working capital back, not just another filing acknowledgment.
Customer Feedback
4.9· 200+ reviews
- SG
Sameer Kulkarni
Pune
“Their team rebuilt our refund after a deficiency memo and got the claim moving again.”
GST Refund Rescue - MG
Meera Iyer
Chennai
“The FIRC documentation was the missing piece. ComplyLocal coordinated it and filed cleanly.”
Export Refund - RG
Rahul Bansal
Delhi
“We had accumulated ITC sitting idle for months. The refund filing was structured and tracked.”
ITC Refund
FAQ
GST refund FAQs
Self-contained answers for exporters, manufacturers, e-commerce sellers, and businesses with excess GST payments.
Fast answersExpert support
- A GST refund is the return of excess tax paid, accumulated input tax credit, or surplus electronic cash ledger balance to a registered taxpayer under the GST law.
- Form RFD-01 is the main GST portal application used to claim most GST refunds, including accumulated ITC, export refunds under LUT, inverted duty refunds, and excess payment refunds.
- Most GST refund claims must be filed within two years from the relevant date under Section 54 of the CGST Act. Missing the deadline can make the refund lapse permanently.
- GST refunds are generally processed within 60 days from a complete application. Eligible export and inverted-duty claims may receive 90% provisional refund within 7 days of acknowledgment.
- For eligible refund categories such as exports and inverted duty claims, the department may release 90% of the claimed amount provisionally before the final sanction order.
- An RFD-03 deficiency memo means the refund application is deficient. It does not merely pause the claim; the application is closed and must be re-filed from scratch.
- RFD-08 is a show-cause notice issued when the officer proposes to reject all or part of the refund. A reply must usually be filed within 15 days.
- An inverted duty refund applies when input tax rates are higher than output tax rates, causing eligible accumulated ITC that can be claimed back using the Rule 89(5) formula.
- Under the IGST route, exporters pay IGST on export supplies and claim it back. Under LUT, exports are made without paying tax and accumulated ITC is claimed through refund.
- Yes. Service exporters generally need FIRC or BRC as proof that export proceeds were received in convertible foreign exchange or permitted INR route.
- Yes. Excess payment, wrong-head payment, double payment, or surplus cash ledger balance can be claimed back if the documentation and limitation period are satisfied.
- If a valid refund is not sanctioned within the prescribed 60-day period, the department may owe interest for the delay as per GST law.
- Refunds can often be claimed for a selected period or multiple periods depending on refund category, limitation period, portal rules, and supporting statements.
- Yes. ComplyLocal reviews the deficiency, rejection, or delay reason, rebuilds the claim where possible, replies to notices, and follows up until bank credit or final outcome.
Related services
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