IDFC FIRST Bank Enables Direct Tax Payments via Multiple Channels
IDFC FIRST Bank announced the completion of its payment‑gateway integration with the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), permitting taxpayers across India to settle direct tax liabilities through a range of digital and physical avenues. Taxpayers can now choose UPI, credit cards, debit cards, or the bank’s Retail and Corporate Internet Banking platforms for online payments, while offline options include visiting any IDFC FIRST Bank branch to pay by cheque, demand draft or cash. The gateway is also open to customers of other banks, who may use their own internet‑banking facilities to route tax payments through IDFC FIRST’s platform, ensuring that the service is independent of the payer’s banking relationship. Users can download and print challans and payment confirmations directly from the portal.
The bank outlined a step‑by‑step process: log in to the Income Tax e‑Filing portal, create a challan, select “Payment Gateway”, choose IDFC FIRST Bank, pick the preferred mode (UPI, credit/debit card, or internet banking), complete the transaction, and then download or print the paid challan for records.
Mr. Shirish Bhandari, Head – Retail Liabilities, Cards & Payments, said, “Customers today expect flexibility and choice in how they make payments. With this integration, taxpayers can use their preferred payment mode—whether UPI, internet banking, debit cards or credit cards—through a secure and seamless platform. This is another step in our commitment to building customer‑friendly digital banking solutions.”
IDFC FIRST Bank, one of the private‑sector banks authorised to collect direct tax payments on behalf of the CBDT, highlighted its broader strategic positioning. The bank’s vision is to build a world‑class institution grounded in ethical, digital, and social‑good banking. As of 30 June 2026, its total customer business—encompassing deposits and loans—stood at Rs 6,04,776 crore, reflecting approximately 20% year‑on‑year growth. The universal‑bank model spans retail, MSME, rural, startup, and corporate segments, offering services such as cash management, credit cards, wealth management, government banking, trade finance, and treasury solutions.
Digital infrastructure is described as cloud‑native, API‑led, and micro‑services based, augmented by data analytics, AI, and a fintech‑grade user experience. On the social‑good front, the bank serves over 40 million customers, including 3.6 million women entrepreneurs, 7.5 million lifestyle‑improvement loans, 2 million livelihood loans, more than 300,000 SMEs, 270,000 water and sanitation loans, and 250,000 electric‑vehicle loans. It has waived fees on 36 essential savings‑account services—the first Indian bank to do so—underscoring its customer‑first approach. Governance practices adhere strictly to regulatory guidelines, and the bank targets a consistent return on equity of 16% or higher.
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