If you have filed your income tax return on time and are still waiting for your refund, you are not alone. Though many refunds have been issued, a number of taxpayers are still waiting.
Here’s a breakdown of how you can check your refund status online and the common reasons why your refund may be delayed.
How to Check Your Refund Status
- Visit the Income Tax e-Filing portal, log in with your PAN and password.
- Go to “View Filed Returns” under the ITR section to see whether your return has been processed.
- If your return shows processed with refund due, navigate to Services → Know Your Refund Status and enter the relevant assessment year.
- For refunds that relate to years before 31 March 2023 (usually AY 2022-23 or earlier) you may need to check via the NSDL/TIN portal (using PAN and assessment year).
Common Reasons for Delay
1. Outstanding tax demands: If you have unpaid tax from earlier years, the refund due may be adjusted against that demand.
2. Bank-account issues: If your bank account is not validated or linked with your PAN or if the account is inactive, refund credit can get held up.
3. Data mismatches: Mistakes in details (bank account number/IFSC/name), mismatch in TDS or Form 26AS.
4. Return under scrutiny or processing delays: Some returns may require further verification, leading to longer wait times.
What You Should Do
- Make sure your ITR is e-verified and submitted correctly.
- Confirm that the bank account you provided is active and validated/linked with your PAN.
- Log into e-Filing portal and check if there are pending demands or actions against you; respond promptly.
- If everything seems in order but refund still has not come, you can consider raising a Refund Re-issue Request via the portal.
- Keep all your documents handy (bank statements, Form 26AS, TDS certificates) in case you need to respond to queries.
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