Income tax return (ITR) refunds delay: The deadline to file ITR for AY 2025-26 closed on September 16 last month after the Income Tax Department refused to give any further extension in the due date, despite taxpayers complaining of technical issues and other difficulties.
At the close of the deadline on September 16, the Income Tax Department’s website showed that over 7.53 crore ITRs were filed and over 4 crore returns were processed. Since then, around 15 lakh more ITRs have been filed. As of September 5, 7.68 crore returns have been filed and around 6.11 crore ITRs have been processed by the tax department. Meanwhile, there have been several complaints on social media from taxpayers, stating that they can see their ITR status as “processed” on the e-filing portal, but they have not yet received their tax refunds.
This year, the deadline for filing of ITR was extended twice for taxpayers in the non-audit category. Initially the due date was extended from 31st July to 15th September and then by 24 hours till 16th September. For audit cases, the CBDT has not changed the deadline of October 31 for filing returns. However, the deadline for filing tax audit reports has been extended to October 31.
Now, it’s interesting as there has usually been a gap of at least one month in the past between the tax audit report and the ITR filing date for audit cases. It is currently unclear whether the government will extend the ITR filing deadline for these taxpayers this year.
If the ITR status shows ‘Processed’ but the refund has not been received
This situation often causes concern among taxpayers. If your status shows “Processed” but the refund hasn’t been credited to your bank account, taxpayers can take the following steps:
Login to the e-Filing portal and view the Refund/Demand Status section.
If the refund is processed but hasn’t been credited to your bank account, proceed to the next step.
Ensure you provided the correct bank account and IFSC details.
Refund backlogs are common due to incorrect details.
Reconcile Form 26AS and TDS
Sometimes, refunds are delayed due to discrepancies in TDS or tax credits.
Compare the tax deducted in Form 26AS and the amount shown in the ITR.
If the bank details are correct, you can request a refund reissue through the e-filing portal’s helpdesk.
Contact NSDL/bank
If the RFD code has been issued and the amount has not yet been credited to the bank account, contact the relevant bank branch or NSDL.
Sometimes, the refund takes 15-30 days to be credited to the bank account after processing.
ITR filing process for non-audit cases
Taxpayers in non-audit cases typically file ITRs based on their salary, bank interest, or other ordinary income.
Taxpayers file ITRs on the Income Tax e-filing portal by entering their information (income, deductions, TDS, etc.).
The government verifies and processes the ITRs after they are submitted.