Cut-off Time for Government Revenue e-Payments Extended to 8 PM
Current · Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2007-2008/256 · issued 05 Mar 2008 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI has extended the cut-off time for e-payments of government revenue to 8:00 PM, aligning with CBEC norms. Payments after 8 PM will be treated as received the next working day. Banks must ensure cyber receipts show date and time to avoid legal disputes.
The rule, in the simplest words
E-payments (online payments) for government taxes must be accepted until 8:00 PM on the same day.
If a payment is made after 8:00 PM, it counts as if it was received the next working day.
Banks must print the exact date and time on the cyber receipt (online payment proof) to avoid legal fights.
This rule helps calculate late fees and interest correctly based on when the payment was actually made.
How it plays out — a real example
An IT-governance officer in Indore receives an e-payment for excise duty at 7:45 PM. She processes it as a same-day receipt, so the taxpayer avoids a late fee. If the payment came at 8:05 PM, she would mark it as next-day, and the system would calculate penal interest from the following working day.
What changed
RBI, in consultation with CBEC, set the cut-off time for e-payments of government revenue to 8:00 PM. Payments received after this time will be considered as received on the next working day. Banks must now include the date and time of transaction on cyber receipts issued under EASIEST.
What it means for you
Banks need to update their systems to process e-payments up to 8 PM as same-day receipts for government revenue. This change affects how delayed remittances and penal interest are calculated. Including date and time on cyber receipts is critical to avoid legal challenges under Central Excise Rules.
What you must do
Update internal cut-off timings for government revenue e-payments to 8:00 PM.
Ensure all cyber receipts under EASIEST include the date and time of transaction.
Communicate these changes to all relevant branches and staff.
Align remittance and penal interest calculations with the new 8 PM cut-off.
Who it affects
Nominated banks handling government revenue e-payments, Branches of State Bank of India, its associates, and other listed banks, Taxpayers and assessees using e-payment for excise and customs
❓ Common questions
What is the new cut-off time for e-payments of government revenue?
The cut-off time is 8:00 PM. Payments received up to 8 PM are treated as received on that day; after 8 PM, they are considered received on the next working day.
Why must cyber receipts include date and time?
To avoid legal issues regarding the date of payment credit under Central Excise Rules, 2002. The date and time help establish when the payment was made, similar to the rule for cheque/draft presentation.
Does this apply to CBDT e-payments?
No, instructions for CBDT e-payments will be issued separately. This circular specifically addresses CBEC-related payments.
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2007-2008/256
DGBA.GAD.No. H 9561/41.07.003/2007-08
March 5, 2008
The Chairman & Managing Director / Managing Director
State Bank of India and its Associates/Allahabad Bank/Bank of Baroda/Bank of India/Canara Bank/Central Bank of India/ Corporation Bank/Dena Bank/Indian Bank/ Indian Overseas Bank/Punjab National Bank/Syndicate Bank/United Commercial Bank/Union Bank of India/United Bank of India/Vijaya Bank/UTI Bank Ltd/HDFC Bank Ltd/ICICI Bank Ltd/IDBI Ltd
Dear Sir,
Cut off time for e-Payment transactions pertaining to Government Revenue
It has been decided in consultation with Central Board of Excise & Customs that e-payment received upto 8.00 p.m. may be treated as received on that day and payment received after this time limit may be treated as received on next working day. The permissible time period for deposit of tax receipts into Government Account in RBI, CAS, Nagpur, delayed remittance thereof and levy of penal interest etc. would be reckoned with reference to the above norm.
2. Further, we draw your attention to CBEC letter No. Coord.II/6-8/HPC/255 dated October 10, 2007 addressed to all nominated banks regarding issue of cyber receipt as acknowledgement of e-payment under EASIEST. In addition to the fields such as CIN number, payment details, unique transaction number etc. mentioned in the said letter, it must be ensured that the date and time of transactions is also clearly indicated in the cyber receipt. These are required to be quoted to avoid any legal issues related to credit to be given to the assessee in terms of the Central Excise Rules, 2002 as amended vide notification dated March 1, 2003, whereby the date of presentation of cheque/demand draft is treated as date of payment of tax, though the cheque/draft so tendered at the bank gets cleared on a subsequent day.
3. Necessary instructions may be issued to all your branches concerned.
4. Instructions with respect to CBDT e-payments will be issued separately.
Yours faithfully
(M.T.Varghese)
General Manager
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2007-2008/256 · issued 05 Mar 2008. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Communicate these changes to all relevant branches and staff.
💻 IT / Systems
Ensure all cyber receipts under EASIEST include the date and time of transaction.
📜 Compliance
Update internal cut-off timings for government revenue e-payments to 8:00 PM.
Align remittance and penal interest calculations with the new 8 PM cut-off.
Grouped from the action items above — a single circular may involve more than one team.
Worked example & action-note template
Example: if you are a Compliance officer at a bank this circular applies to (Nominated banks handling government revenue e-payments, Branches of State Bank of India, its associates, and other listed banks, Taxpayers and assessees using e-payment for excise and customs), your first concrete step on “Cut-off Time for Government Revenue e-Payments Extended to 8 PM” is: “Update internal cut-off timings for government revenue e-payments to 8:00 PM.” (RBI issued this 05 Mar 2008).
Circular: RBI/2007-2008/256 -- Cut-off Time for Government Revenue e-Payments Extended to 8 PM
Issued: 05 Mar 2008
Action required: Update internal cut-off timings for government revenue e-payments to 8:00 PM.
Action required: Ensure all cyber receipts under EASIEST include the date and time of transaction.
Action required: Communicate these changes to all relevant branches and staff.
Action required: Align remittance and penal interest calculations with the new 8 PM cut-off.
Owner: ____________ Target date: ____________
Board/committee approval needed? Y / N
Evidence filed in compliance register on: ____________
Built only from this circular’s own published fields — not legal advice; always confirm against the official RBI source.
💬 Banker Discussion
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BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 05 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly). Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=4074&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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