The Income Tax Return (ITR) filing season for Assessment Year 2025-26 started a little late this time. Usually, the process of filing returns starts in April every year, but this year, there was a delay in releasing ITR forms and utilities from the Income Tax Department. By the end of May, only the utility of ITR-1 (for salaried taxpayers) and ITR-4 (for businessmen with presumptive taxation) could be released. Offline and online utilities for complex ITR forms like ITR-2 and ITR-3 are not available yet.
The impact of this delay is visible through the number of ITRs filed so far. Many taxpayers are also complaining on social media platforms and tax help forums that they have not received the refund yet, even though weeks have passed since the return was filed. In such a situation, it is important to know how to track the status of the refund, whom to contact if there is a delay, and how to ensure quick payment.
How to check ITR refund status?
Taxpayers should first know whether the refund has been issued or not. There are two easy options for this – first, login to the Income Tax Department website incometax.gov.in and go to the ‘Refund/Demand Status’ section and check the status of your return. Second, the refund status can also be checked by entering the PAN and assessment year information on the NSDL website.
If it appears on the site that the refund has been issued but has not reached the bank account, then double-check the bank account details (such as IFSC code and account number) to see if they are registered and verified. Sometimes the delay in payment is also due to bank verification. Apart from this, the responsibility of payment now lies with the State Bank of India (SBI), so it may be beneficial to contact them as well.
Why is there a delay in issuing tax refunds?
There are many reasons behind the delay in tax refunds. The first major reason is the backend system upgrade of the Income Tax Department. After the budget of April 2024, the department is doing many technical updates to upload the changes in tax slabs and new compliance rules in the system, which has affected both filing and processing.
The second reason could be the common mistakes made in filing returns. Such as furnishing wrong details and not fully disclosing the sources of income or leaving the verification of bank account incomplete. In such situations, your return is not processed, and the refund also gets stuck.
What to do when the refund is delayed?
If your return has been successfully processed but the refund has not yet arrived, you can complain by visiting the e-Nivaran portal or CPGRAMS. The Income Tax Department has made the process of grievance redressal simpler and faster than before. You can explain your problem in detail by going to the grievance category and selecting ‘Refund not received’. In this, it is necessary to provide your PAN, assessment year, acknowledgement number, and contact information.
If the complaint is not resolved within 15-20 days, you can escalate the case to a higher officer. For this, CPC-Bangalore, Regional Income Tax Office or IT Department’s social media platforms can be used. The Finance Ministry has also recently talked about providing better service to resolve the problems of taxpayers.
Tips to get quick tax refund:
-If you want refund processing to be done soon, then keep some things in mind:
-Fill ITR quickly and e-verify it immediately. Without e-verification, your return is not processed.
-Select the correct ITR form. Salaried class should use ITR-1, business people should use ITR-3 or ITR-4.
-Make sure to get your bank account verified. Login to the income tax portal and choose the ‘Prevalidate Bank Account’ option.
-Keep an eye on the refund. Keep checking the status every 7-10 days and report any problems immediately.
Benefit of extended ITR deadline and interest
This year, the Income Tax Department has extended the last date for ITR filing to 15 September 2025, whereas normally it is 31 July. Experts believe that taxpayers can benefit from this extension because in case of delayed refund, the Income Tax Department has to pay interest to taxpayers under section 244A. In such a situation, many taxpayers can get extra interest along with the refund.
However, this will also increase the additional burden of refund payment on the government, so it is important that taxpayers also file returns on time with correct information and documents so that there is no delay in the refund.
Also read: ITR Filing 2025: Small depositors take a hit under new tax regime — experts call for rethink
Summing up…
If you are also waiting for a tax refund, then first check the status, update your bank details, and fill out the correct form. If there is still a delay, then choose the option of filing a complaint and contacting the officer. Amidst technical glitches and system upgrades, your alertness and information are your biggest strengths in getting the refund quickly.