What to do if the Income Tax Refund is Delayed?

Updated on: Jul 24th, 2025

3 min read

When the taxes paid by you (TDS, advance tax and self assessment tax) is more than your actual tax liability, you are eligible for income tax refund. Therefore it is very important to file your income tax returns well in advance for speedy refund process.

If you file the returns close to the due date, the refund process might be delayed as the tax department has more returns to handle. However, there could be other reasons for refund delay like incorrect bank account details, mismatch between ITR filed and AIS/ Form 26AS, demand notices pending action, etc.,

Read on to know the reasons why your income tax refund might be delayed and what you to do if your refund is delayed.

What is an Income Tax Refund?

When you have paid more taxes than you were required to pay by way of TDS, TCS or advance tax, you get the additional amount paid as a tax refund. It's like receiving a refund for overpaying.

TDS +TCS + advance tax > Final Tax Amount = Tax Refund
TDS +TCS + advance tax < Final Tax Amount = Balance Tax Payable

For instance, if a taxpayer has paid Rs. 10,000 in taxes for the financial year 2024-2025, yet their actual tax liability is only Rs. 8,000, they are eligible for a refund of Rs. 2,000 from the Income Tax Department. Once the income tax return is filed and it has been verified, the income tax department will initiate the processing of the tax return.

Refund Processing Time

After the tax return is processed, it will take around 4-5 weeks for the refund to get credited to the bank account of the taxpayer.

Why the Refund is Delayed ?

Many refund claims made in the returns filed for the financial year 2024-25 (AY 2025-26) has been delayed. One of the significant reasons might be that the department has intensified the scrutiny process. Many returns are flagged due to advanced data analytics and AI tools used by the department. Therefore it is advised not to claim fake deductions, and maintain sufficient documentation to prove eligible deductions.

Refund amount many be delayed due to the following reasons:

Return not e-verified after filing
Incorrect bank account details entered
Bank account became invalid after filing the returns
Bank account number not pre-validated
Mismatch of information between ITR filed and Form 26AS
ITR filed is shortlisted for scrutiny
Refund held against outstanding pending demand notices if any

What to do when my Refund is Delayed?

There can be many reasons for your refund not reaching you. Here is a table of reasons and the action plans you need to follow in each of those cases.

Reasons why the refund not received	Action Plans
Refund request rejected. As per the IT department, you owe them taxes.	The department will compute the tax liability and compare it to the calculations you provided in your tax return. If they find any differences and it turns out you still owe taxes, you might get a notice from the department stating the amount you need to pay. If this happens, take a look at all your documents and double-check the taxes you owe and the refund you're supposed to get. - If the numbers you entered in your tax return are right, you can file a rectification return under Section 139(4) to explain your case. - If your tax return was incorrect, you should pay the outstanding demand that the department is asking for within the timeframe given in the notice.
Wrong Bank Account number	Reconfirm the bank details you have entered while filing your taxes
Bank Account not pre-validated	Refunds are credited only to a pre-validated bank account. make sure to pre-validate your bank account on the income tax e-filing portal.
Incorrect name in Bank Account	The name on your bank account needs to be exactly the same as the name on your tax return. If the names don't match, your tax refund will not get credited to your bank account.
Bank account details provided to the IT department while filing returns have changed.	If the refund could not get credited to the bank account then to resolve the issue, raise the grievance in the income tax portal. In certain cases, the income tax department may ask you to raise a refund reissue request. Otherwise, it may ask you to attach the latest bank details along with other required information to e-mail at orm@cpc.incometax.gov.in. Attach the below-required information:- • Scanned copy of PAN • Contact Details (Name, DOB/DOI, Contact Number) • Scanned copy of any one Government identity such as Passport/Voter Card/Driving License/Aadhaar card • Screenshot of the error message • Helpdesk Ticket Number (grievance acknowledgement number.
Refund request under process. The delay could be the IT department is taking time to process your request.	Due to huge volume of returns, it may take some time to process your return. 1. Make sure that you have e-verified your return within 30 days from the date of filing your return. 2. Also, check whether the IFSC code is valid. A bank might have undergone a merger and there has been a change in the IFSC code. In case you have failed to update the same, update it and pre-validate your bank details.
Return Under Scrutiny	The Income Tax Department selects some returns for scrutiny to ensure accuracy and compliance. If your return gets picked for scrutiny, it could slightly slow down the refund process until they finish the assessment.
Mismatch in Form 26AS	Form 26AS is a summary of all the taxes you've paid under your PAN number. If the TDS information in your tax return doesn't match with what's in Form 26AS, it might lead to a delay in getting your refund.
Filing returns through offline and not online.	Processing physical filing forms takes time. Wait for the IT department to reconcile the paperwork.

What to do if you have Not Received the Refund yet?

When the refund claim made in the ITR has failed to fetch the refund, we can request for refund reissue.

Please reach out to the IT department to have your refund-reissue. When getting in touch with the IT department, ensure you provide them with your PAN, the assessment year for which the refund was issued, and the exact refund amount. You have the option to contact the IT department through phone, mail, or their e-filing portal.

Here's how you can raise a refund re-issue request:

Step 1: Visit the e-filing portal and log in to your account

Step 2: Navigate to "My Account" section

Step 3: Select “Refund Re-issue” then click on and "create Refund Reissue Request”

Step 4: Fill in the necessary details, including your PAN, assessment year, and refund amount

Step 5: e-Verify

Step 6: Submit the refund re-issue request

How to Check your Refund Status on Income Tax Portal?

If you have not received the refund yet, check the refund status by logging in to income tax e-filing portal. Follow the below steps to view the refund status:-

Step 1: Visit the income tax e-filing portal and log in to your account using the log in credentials.
Step 2: Click on ‘e-File’>‘Income Tax Returns’>’View Filed Returns’.

Step 3: Go to the relevant assessment year for which you want to check the refund and check the ITR status. In the given screenshot below, you can check the refund status of the assessment year 2024-25. To view the details, you can click on ‘View details’.

Step 4: The status of your refund will be displayed in a new window along with the information.

If your ITR is processed but refund is not issued, it will show status ‘Processed with refund due’. It normally takes 20 to 45 days after the ITR processing to receive the refund amount.

You can also visit the tin-nsdl website to check the income tax refund status. The refund status will be displayed after you enter the PAN, relevant assessment year and the captcha code in the above link.

What is the Status if Income tax Refund is Received?

The status will be ‘refund issued’ when the refund is received. And you can find all the refund details, such as mode of payment, refund amount, and the clearance date, as shown below.

Related articles:

Process to claim income tax refund

How to claim TDS refund

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the income tax refund delayed?

If you have filed the income tax return for FY 2024-2025 and have not received the income tax refund yet, check whether you have completed the e-verification of your income tax return. If it is not, then verify the return If the income tax return is e-verified and processed, still refund is not credited to your account. Submit a grievance on the e-filing portal, know the reason for the same, and respond accordingly.

My income tax refund is not processed. How do I escalate this?

If you have filed the returns and still have not got the refund, you have to check if it is appropriately e-verified or not. IF it is e-verified and still the refund is pending, you can follow up with CPC on their helpline numbers 1800 103 0025 (or) 1800 419 0025 (or) 080-61464700 from Monday to Friday 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. You can also submit your grievance in the e-filing portal.

When will we get an income tax refund?

Refunds are issued within 20-45 days after processing of ITR by the CPC Department of Income Tax.

How to check income tax refund status?

To check the income tax refund status, log in to your e-filing account. Go to
‘e-File’>‘Income Tax Returns’>’View Filed Returns’. Go to the relevant assessment year for which you want to check the refund and check the ITR status.

What can be the reasons for refund failure?

Failure of credit of refund can be due to one or more reasons as listed below:

Incorrect Bank Details (Account no, MICR Code, IFSC Code, Name mismatch etc.)
Account details given are other than Current Account or Saving Bank Account
PAN-Bank accounts are not linked.
Mismatch in the names of PAN and bank account

What is the condonation of delay?

Condonation of delay is the process of requesting the Income Tax Department to allow you to verify your ITR (after 120 days of filing your ITR) or submit your ITR (after the last date of filing) by citing the reasons for the delay on your part. The department has the power to accept or reject the request made for condonation.

Can anyone else submit a request for condonation of delay / raise refund reissue request on my behalf?

Authorised signatory / Representative assessee / ERIs can submit requests for condonation of delay / raise a refund reissue request on behalf of the assessee.

What is the return under scrutiny?

The IT Department selects some returns for scrutiny to ensure accuracy and compliance. If your return gets picked for scrutiny, it could slightly slow down the refund process until they finish the assessment.