ITC Unclaimed Dividend — How to Claim from IEPF (2026 Guide)

ITC Limited (NSE: ITC, BSE: 500875) is one of India's largest and most diversely held companies — with over 3.5 million shareholders spread across institutional investors, retail shareholders, and long-term buy-and-hold investors who bought stock decades ago. ITC has paid dividends consistently for many years, including a regular annual dividend of Rs 7.50 per share for FY2024. Yet a significant amount of ITC unclaimed dividends sits uncollected every year, and the corresponding shares continue to flow to the Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF).

In 2025, ITC completed a major corporate restructuring — the demerger of its Hotels business into a separately listed entity, ITC Hotels Limited. This has created a new category of potentially unclaimed shares that millions of ITC shareholders may not even know they are entitled to. This guide explains how to check the ITC unclaimed dividend list, recover dividends and shares from IEPF, and what you need to know about the ITC Hotels demerger entitlements.

Why Do ITC Dividends Go Unclaimed?

ITC has declared annual dividends for several consecutive decades. Despite the company's wide visibility and retail shareholder base, crores of rupees remain uncollected each year. Common reasons include:

• Outdated bank account details: If the bank account linked to your folio or demat account has been closed or changed, dividend ECS transfers fail and warrants bounce back as undelivered.
• Address change: Physical dividend warrants sent to an old residential address are returned unclaimed — a common issue for shareholders who moved cities.
• Death of shareholder: Many long-term ITC investors are now elderly or deceased. Legal heirs are often unaware of the holdings or don't know how to claim dividends.
• Physical shares not dematerialized: A portion of ITC shareholders still hold old physical certificates. Dividend communication frequently fails to reach these shareholders.
• Corporate action confusion: ITC has undergone bonus issues and stock splits historically. Shareholders who have not kept track of their folio may be unaware of their actual shareholding.
• ITC Hotels demerger (2025): Many shareholders may not be aware that they received ITC Hotels shares in the demerger — and these shares, if uncredited, could eventually become unclaimed.

How ITC Shares End Up in IEPF

Under Section 124(6) of the Companies Act, 2013, if a shareholder does not claim their dividend for 7 consecutive years, the company must transfer both the unclaimed dividend amount and the underlying shares to the IEPF Authority. ITC Limited has been complying with this process since 2016 when the IEPF Rules were operationalized.

Each year, ITC publishes a list of shareholders whose shares are due for transfer to IEPF and sends them individual notices at their registered addresses — giving them a final opportunity to claim before the transfer happens.

How to Check ITC Unclaimed Dividend

Method 1: IEPF Website Search

For a full walkthrough of every search method (by name, folio number, PAN, and company), see our step-by-step unclaimed shares search guide.

1. Visit iepf.gov.in
2. Click on "IEPF › Search Unclaimed Dividends"
3. Enter company name as "ITC Limited"
4. Enter your name, folio number, or PAN
5. Review results — it will show dividend year, amount, and current status

Method 2: Link Intime India (ITC's RTA) Portal

Link Intime India Pvt Ltd is the Registrar and Transfer Agent (RTA) for ITC Limited and maintains all shareholder records.

1. Visit linkintime.co.in
2. Go to Investor Services → Unclaimed Dividends / IEPF
3. Search using your folio number, DP ID/Client ID, or PAN
4. You can also call their toll-free number: 1800-1020-878

Method 3: ITC Investor Relations Page

1. Visit itcportal.com
2. Navigate to Investor Centre → Shareholder Services → Unclaimed Dividends
3. Download the list of shareholders with unclaimed dividends or those due for IEPF transfer

ITC IEPF Transfer History

ITC has a long dividend-paying history — meaning many unclaimed amounts from earlier years have already moved to IEPF. Understanding the timeline helps determine whether to file an IEPF-5 or claim directly from ITC:

Step-by-Step: How to Claim ITC Unclaimed Dividend from IEPF

Step 1: Verify Your Claim on IEPF Portal

Before filing, confirm that your name and details appear in the IEPF database. Note down the exact dividend amount, year, and folio/DP details. After filing, you can track your application status using our guide: how to check your IEPF claim status.

Step 2: Gather Required Documents

• Copy of IEPF-5 form (available online at iepf.gov.in)
• Original or copy of share certificate (for physical shares)
• Copy of PAN card
• Copy of Aadhaar card
• Cancelled cheque or bank passbook copy
• Client Master List (CML) from your depository participant (for demat shares)
• Indemnity bond on stamp paper (typically Rs 100 or Rs 200 stamp paper, depending on state)
• Advance receipt on stamp paper
• Proof of entitlement (old dividend warrants, transaction statements, demat holding statements)

Step 3: Fill IEPF Form 5 Online

1. Go to iepf.gov.in and register/login
2. Select "Claim Refund" and fill Form IEPF-5
3. Enter company details: ITC Limited, CIN: L16005WB1910PLC001985
4. Fill in your personal details, folio number, and dividend details
5. Upload all scanned documents
6. Generate SRN (Service Request Number) after successful submission

Step 4: Send Physical Documents

Print the IEPF-5 form acknowledgment and send the physical set of documents to:

Nodal Officer (IEPF), ITC Limited, Virginia House, 37 J.L. Nehru Road, Kolkata 700 071, West Bengal

Step 5: Verification by Company

ITC's Nodal Officer verifies your documents and submits a verification report to IEPF Authority. This typically takes 30 to 45 days.

Step 6: IEPF Authority Approval

The IEPF Authority reviews the verification report and processes your claim. Upon approval:

• Dividend amount is credited directly to your bank account
• Shares are transferred back to your demat account
• The entire process takes approximately 60 to 90 days from the date of filing

ITC RTA Details (Link Intime India)

Important Points for ITC Shareholders

ITC Hotels Demerger — January 2025

This is the most significant recent development for ITC shareholders and one that many investors may not yet be fully aware of.

Effective January 1, 2025, ITC Limited demerged its Hotels business into a separately listed entity: ITC Hotels Limited. ITC Hotels Limited commenced trading on NSE and BSE following the demerger.

The share entitlement ratio was: 1 ITC Hotels share for every 10 ITC shares held on the record date.

This means:

• If you held 1,000 ITC shares on the record date, you were entitled to 100 ITC Hotels shares
• If your demat account details were incorrect or your folio was inactive, these ITC Hotels shares may not have been credited to you
• ITC Hotels shares sitting uncredited may eventually flow into the IEPF system if they remain unclaimed for 7 years
• ITC shareholders whose shares were already with IEPF on the demerger record date may have corresponding ITC Hotels entitlements — these are handled by the company and IEPF Authority on a case-by-case basis

Dividend History and Consistent Payout Record

ITC has been one of India's most reliable dividend-paying companies across decades. Key dividend milestones:

• FY 2023-24: Dividend of Rs 7.50 per share
• FY 2022-23: Dividend of Rs 6.75 per share
• Consistent annual dividend payer for over two decades

Any of these dividends could be unclaimed if your bank details with Link Intime India or your depository participant are not current.

Bonus Issues and Stock Splits

ITC has historically carried out bonus issues and a stock split (face value was reduced from Rs 10 to Rs 1 per share). Shareholders who have not kept track of their folio may be surprised to discover that their actual shareholding is substantially larger than what they originally purchased — and that the corresponding dividends on these bonus/split shares may also be unclaimed.

Physical to Demat Conversion

If you hold old ITC share certificates that have not been dematerialized, SEBI has mandated that all share transfers can only happen in demat mode. You must first dematerialize the certificates through your depository participant before initiating an IEPF claim or any other transfer. Given ITC's age as a listed company, there are many shareholders still holding physical certificates — particularly those who were allotted shares in earlier rights or bonus issues.

Succession and Transmission

If the original ITC shareholder is deceased, legal heirs must first complete the transmission process before filing an IEPF claim. This requires a death certificate, legal heir certificate or succession certificate (for holdings above Rs 5 lakhs), and an indemnity bond. ITC Hotels demerger entitlements may also require separate transmission if the deceased shareholder had already received ITC Hotels shares.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Filing without verifying details: Ensure your name in the claim matches exactly with the shareholder records maintained by Link Intime India
2. Incorrect CIN: Always use the correct CIN for ITC Limited: L16005WB1910PLC001985
3. Missing stamp paper: Indemnity bond must be on non-judicial stamp paper of appropriate value
4. Not linking Aadhaar with PAN: IEPF Authority may reject claims where Aadhaar-PAN linking is not completed
5. Overlooking ITC Hotels entitlement: If claiming ITC shares from IEPF, separately verify whether ITC Hotels shares are also due to you from the 2025 demerger
6. Delay in sending physical documents: The SRN expires if physical documents are not received within the stipulated time after online filing
7. Claiming only one dividend year: If multiple years of ITC dividends are unclaimed, file for all applicable years together to avoid repeated filings

How Investor Helpdesk Can Help

The IEPF claim process for ITC shares involves precise documentation, coordination with Link Intime India, and submission to both the ITC Nodal Officer and the IEPF Authority. The 2025 ITC Hotels demerger adds an additional layer of complexity — shareholders may need to deal with entitlements from two separate listed entities simultaneously.

At Investor Helpdesk, our Company Secretary professionals handle ITC unclaimed dividend and share recovery cases regularly. We manage:

• Verification of your ITC claim eligibility across all dividend years
• Checking and following up on your ITC Hotels share entitlement from the 2025 demerger
• Complete IEPF Form 5 filing and document preparation
• Preparation of indemnity bond and advance receipt
• Coordination with Link Intime India and ITC's Nodal Officer
• Follow-up with IEPF Authority until successful recovery