If you overpaid income tax, LHDN (Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri, Malaysia's tax authority) pays it back automatically — no separate application needed — and you can check your LHDN tax refund status any time by logging into MyTax, the tax authority's official portal at mytax.hasil.gov.my. Most refunds for returns filed through e-Filing land within 30 working days; paper filings take up to 90 working days. Here's exactly where to look, how long to wait before worrying, and what your bank account has to do with any of it.
What bayaran balik cukai actually means
Bayaran balik cukai is simply a refund of income tax you overpaid. Usually it happens because your employer's monthly tax deduction (Potongan Cukai Bulanan, PCB) took out more than your final tax bill, or because the reliefs and rebates you claimed in e-Filing brought your actual tax owed below what you'd already paid.
You don't file a separate claim for it. LHDN works out the difference the moment your Borang Nyata Cukai Pendapatan (tax return) is processed, and if you're owed money, it's queued for payment automatically — whether you filed Form BE (employment income) or Form B (business income).
Reliefs matter here. Contributing toward the RM3,000 relief cap for Private Retirement Schemes is one of the reliefs that regularly pushes a final tax bill below what's already been deducted — see our breakdown of what to know before you chase the RM3,000 PRS tax relief if you're not sure whether you're eligible.
How to check your LHDN tax refund status on MyTax
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Go to mytax.hasil.gov.my and log in with your MyTax ID (or digital certificate) and password — the same login used for e-Filing.
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From the dashboard, open e-Lejar (e-Ledger), which shows your personal details, tax transaction history, and current tax balance in one place.
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Scroll the ledger for your latest year of assessment. A processed refund shows up as a credited transaction once LHDN has paid it into your file.
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Check the date of your filing against the 30-working-day (e-Filing) or 90-working-day (paper) processing window under LHDN's Customer Charter.
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If nothing has posted after that window closes, stop refreshing the portal and contact HASiL directly — details below.
If you're already logged into one government portal for a status check, it's worth doing the same for your retirement savings — see how to check your KWSP balance, nomination, and i-Invest status online.
How long does an LHDN refund actually take
LHDN's official Customer Charter sets refund timelines at:
- 30 working days from submission, for returns filed via e-Filing on or before the deadline
- 90 working days from submission, for paper or hand-delivered returns filed on or before the deadline
These clocks start when your return is filed, not when tax season officially ends. If you filed after the deadline, your refund is only processed once any late-filing penalty has been settled.
For the 2025 year of assessment, HASiL confirmed that refunds for eligible, processed taxpayers began being credited in stages from the second week of March 2026 — so even an early e-Filing submission isn't paid out overnight.
What to do if your refund hasn't arrived
If the 30 or 90 working-day window has passed and MyTax still shows nothing, LHDN's own guidance is direct: contact the HASiL branch handling your tax file, or call the HASiL Contact Centre (Hasil Care Line) at 03-8911 1000, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, excluding public holidays.
Have your income tax reference number, IC number, year of assessment, and filing date ready — it speeds up the check considerably.
A common cause of delay is that LHDN is auditing your return before releasing payment, which is routine and doesn't automatically mean something is wrong. If your refund was approved by cheque instead of bank transfer, LHDN states it should be issued within 14 working days of approval; a cheque that's expired or was never received can be replaced by contacting the same HASiL office or Care Line.
How your bank details affect your refund payout
LHDN pays refunds by direct transfer (EFT) into the bank account registered against your tax file — any Malaysian bank works, not a specific one like CIMB, as long as the account name matches your name on HASiL's records.
Wrong or outdated bank details are one of the most common reasons a refund stalls quietly in the background. If you've switched banks, closed an account, or never registered one with HASiL, update it through e-Kemaskini on the MyTax portal, or in person at the HASiL office handling your file. LHDN explicitly ties refund processing to "correct and complete information" reported in your return — a wrong account number can hold up a payment that's otherwise ready to go.
FAQ
How do I check my LHDN tax refund status online?
Log in to MyTax at mytax.hasil.gov.my and open e-Lejar to view your ledger transactions, including any refund that's been credited to your file. There's no separate refund-tracking tool — the status lives inside your account statement.
Why hasn't my tax refund arrived yet?
The usual reasons are: the processing window hasn't passed yet (30 working days for e-Filing, 90 for paper), LHDN is auditing your return, your bank details on file are wrong or outdated, or you filed after the deadline and a late-filing penalty needs to clear first.
Is bayaran balik cukai the same as STR?
No. Bayaran balik cukai is your income tax refund, processed through MyTax at mytax.hasil.gov.my. Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR), the separate cash aid scheme, now runs on its own portal at bantuantunai.hasil.gov.my — worth knowing if a search for "LHDN refund" keeps pulling up the wrong programme.
How long does LHDN take to pay a tax refund?
Under LHDN's Customer Charter, refunds are due within 30 working days of filing for e-Filing submissions, or 90 working days for paper submissions, provided your return is complete and accurate.
Can I get compensation if my refund is very late?
Section 111D of the Income Tax Act 1967 allows LHDN to pay compensation on refunds delayed beyond the statutory processing period, provided the delay isn't caused by incomplete or incorrect information on your part. If you think you qualify, raise it directly with the HASiL office handling your file rather than assuming it applies automatically.
Sources: MyTax portal, LHDN — Cukai Terlebih Bayar (overpaid tax and refunds), Malay Mail — LHDN urges taxpayers to declare income correctly to avoid refund delays
