Income Tax Refund: Haven’t Received ITR Refund Yet? Why the Delay, When Will it be Credited? Know CBDT Chairman’s Statement & Status Check Process

Income Tax Refund: With many taxpayers eagerly waiting for their income tax refunds for the AY 2025-26 (FY 2024-25) to be credited to their bank accounts, one of the most common questions is: “When will my income tax refund be credited?” While many have already received their refunds after filing and verifying their ITR, a significant number are still waiting. Many are unaware of the reasons behind the delay in their tax refund.

On this matter, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman Ravi Agrawal has explained that delays in processing refunds stem from the Income Tax Department’s review of potentially wrongful deduction claims in certain cases. The department is currently scrutinizing these instances.

When will the remaining refunds be credited?

Speaking to reporters after inaugurating the taxpayer lounge at the India International Trade Fair (IITF) in New Delhi, the CBDT Chairman stated that taxpayers who have omitted any information in their returns have been contacted to submit revised returns.

“Low-value refunds are being released. We have analysed and found that some wrong refunds or deductions were being claimed. So, this is a continuous process. We hope to release the remaining refunds by this month or by December,” Agrawal was quoted as saying by PTI.

Common Reasons for Delay in Income Tax Refund

Besides wrongful deduction claims, several other common reasons can delay your income tax refund. These are mentioned below:

• Errors in ITR Filing: If the Income Tax Department discovers a numerical inaccuracy in your filed ITR, it can be marked for review, causing a delay in your refund.
• Incorrect Bank Account Details: Since the tax refund is deposited directly into your bank account, it is crucial to provide correct and active account details.
• Bank Account Not Pre-validated: Pre-validation of a bank account is now compulsory. Failure to do so can put your refund on hold.
• Name Mismatch: A delay may occur if the name linked to the bank account does not match the name on your PAN card.
• Invalid IFSC Code or Closed Account: Your refund can fail if an invalid IFSC code is entered or if the bank account mentioned in the filed ITR has been closed.

How to Check Your ITR Refund Status?

You can easily check the status of your refund through the Income Tax Department’s e-Filing portal.

• Step 1: Go to the e-Filing portal homepage.
• Step 2: Log in using your user ID and password.
• Step 3: Go to the ‘e-File’ tab > ‘Income Tax Returns’ > click on the ‘View Filed Returns’ option.
• Step 4: Now, you can check the refund status for the desired Assessment Year.
• Step 5: Click on ‘View Details’ to see the complete life cycle of your filed ITR and the current status of your refund.

Typically, the refund status is shown in four stages: refund is issued, refund is partially adjusted, full refund adjusted, and refund is failed.