Have you not received your income tax refund yet? Know what you need to do

Updated: 13-01-2026, 03.11 AM

What is the news?

Over the past week, many taxpayers have complained on social media that they have not received their income tax refunds even after 5 months of filing Income Tax Returns (ITR). The Income Tax Department is thoroughly investigating the ITR this time and has sent notices to many taxpayers after finding irregularities in their returns. For this reason there is a delay in getting the refund this time. Let us know what you should do if there is a delay in refund.

Problems arise due to not verifying ITR

Income tax refunds are usually delayed because sometimes the returns are not processed completely or the Income Tax Department finds issues like discrepancies in your tax filing or non-compliance with the rules. One of the most common reasons for delay in income tax refund is that taxpayers often forget to verify the ITR after filing it. Unverified returns are considered invalid and no refund is issued.

This time the Income Tax Department is taking strict action

This year, the Income Tax Department has increased its strictness on those taxpayers who have mistakenly left discrepancies in their filed forms. If, your income does not match your Form 26AS, Annual Information Statement (AIS) and Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS). Apart from this, due to outstanding tax demand, receipt of notice under Section 143 (1) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 or incorrect bank account details can also cause delay in refund.

What to do if there is a delay?

There is no need to panic if your income tax refund is delayed. First of all, you should log in to the Income Tax e-filing portal and check any of your notices under the ‘Pending Action’ tab. Download the information and carefully match it with your returns, Form 26AS and AIS. If the information given by the Income Tax Department is correct then accept it and otherwise raise the issue with the department along with valid supporting documents.

You can track status like this

If you want to track your income tax refund separately then visit the Income Tax Department website. Log-in using your User ID (PAN Number), Password and Captcha Code. Next go to ‘View Return/Form’ and click on ‘Select an Option’ and then select ‘Income Tax Return’ from the drop-down menu. Submit it after filling the assessment year. Click on the respective ITR receipt number to check the status of your ITR refund.