Chartered Accountant · ICAI M.No. 153926 · FRN 136869W · Reviewed on 7 October 2026
The statutory clock
File RFD-01 with supporting statements; the officer must issue an acknowledgment (RFD-02) or a deficiency memo (RFD-03) within 15 days. A deficiency memo stops the clock entirely — you refile, and the 60 days restart. From a complete application, the final order (RFD-06) is due within 60 days; beyond that, section 56 interest at 6% runs automatically. The outer limit to even apply is two years from the relevant date.
The export fast lanes
Zero-rated claims (exports under LUT, SEZ supplies) get a provisional refund of 90% within about seven days of acknowledgment, balance on scrutiny. Exports with IGST paid skip RFD-01 altogether — the shipping bill plus GSTR-1/3B consistency is the claim, and money follows in weeks when the data matches. Most “stuck” export refunds trace to invoice-level mismatches between GSTR-1, the shipping bill and the EGM — fix the data, the refund follows.
Getting paid on time, in practice
Answer any RFD-03 completely in one shot — serial deficiency memos are the classic time sink. Reconcile the refund statement to GSTR-2B before filing an ITC-accumulation claim (inverted duty structure cases live and die on this). And claim the section 56 interest when it is due — departments rarely volunteer it. Our GST practice files and chases refunds as part of the return cycle.