Tax Refund Claims
Overpaid through APIT, withholding tax or quarterly instalments? We work out exactly what the IRD owes you, file the claim correctly, and follow it through until it’s paid.
Much of Sri Lanka’s income tax is collected in advance — APIT from your salary, advance income tax (AIT) withheld by banks and other payers, and quarterly instalments — while your actual liability is only settled once a year when you file your return. When those advance payments add up to more than you really owe, the difference is refundable. Changing jobs mid-year, reliefs your employer couldn’t apply, and income that came in lower than estimated are the most common causes.
The rules now reward claiming promptly. Under the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Act, No. 02 of 2025, a resident individual’s refund claim of up to Rs. 180,000 for Y/A 2025/2026 onwards is to be processed within three months, before any tax audit, and senior citizens can receive quarterly refunds on claims under Rs. 45,000. There is also a hard deadline: from Y/A 2024/2025, refund claims must be made within 30 months of the end of the year of assessment — miss it and the refund is lost.
Eagle Eye Partners reconciles every credit against your certificates, files the claim correctly the first time, and follows it up with the IRD. We also handle VAT refund claims for businesses under the Risk-Based Refund Scheme that replaced SVAT from 1 October 2025.
How we handle it
A clear, structured process from first contact to completed clearance.
Check what you’re owed
We compare the tax actually deducted or paid against your true liability for the year to confirm whether a refund exists, and how much.
Reconcile your credits
APIT/T-10 certificates, AIT/WHT confirmations and instalment receipts are matched against IRD records so no credit goes unclaimed.
File the return & claim
We declare every credit correctly on your return and lodge the refund claim well within the 30-month deadline.
Handle IRD queries
If your claim is selected for audit, we prepare the supporting schedules and deal with the IRD on your behalf.
Follow through to payment
We track the claim until the refund is paid or correctly set off against other tax you owe.
Scope of service
Included
- Refund eligibility & amount assessment
- Credit reconciliation (APIT, AIT/WHT, instalments)
- Refund claim preparation & submission
- IRD query & audit support
- Follow-up until payment or set-off
- VAT refund claims for eligible businesses
Not Included
- IRD processing time (varies by claim)
- Final withholding taxes, which are not refundable
- Claims already past the statutory deadline
- Certificates your employer or bank never issued (we’ll guide you on requesting them)
Common questions
How do I know if I’m due a tax refund?
If the APIT, withholding tax or instalments you paid during the year exceed the tax you actually owe once your return is calculated, you are due a refund. People who changed jobs, worked only part of the year, or had interest income taxed at source are the most common cases. We can check this for you in a free consultation.
Is there a deadline for claiming a refund?
Yes. From the year of assessment 2024/2025, refund claims must be made within 30 months of the end of the relevant year of assessment. For Y/A 2025/2026, which ended on 31 March 2026, that means by 30 September 2028. A claim made after the deadline is lost.
How long does the IRD take to pay a refund?
For Y/A 2025/2026 onwards, a resident individual’s refund claim of up to Rs. 180,000 is to be processed within three months, before any tax audit. Larger claims may be audited first, which takes longer — so well-documented credits make a real difference.
Can my business claim a VAT refund?
Yes, where your input VAT exceeds your output VAT. Since SVAT was abolished on 1 October 2025, eligible exporters and project suppliers claim refunds under the IRD’s Risk-Based Refund Scheme, with refunds issued within 45 days depending on the business’s risk category. We prepare the returns and schedules these claims depend on.
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