After filing and e-verifying an Income Tax Return (ITR), taxpayers generally wait for their refund to reach their bank account. In many cases, the Income Tax Department processes refunds within around four to five weeks after successful e-verification. However, a refund can sometimes be delayed because of incorrect information, bank-account issues or pending verification.
If you claimed a refund and it has been processed but the amount has not reached your account, take the following steps.
Check Your Income Tax Refund Status
First, log in to the Income Tax e-filing portal. Go to e-File > Income Tax Returns > View Filed Returns and select the relevant assessment year. Click on View Details to check the latest refund status.
The portal may show different messages, including Refund Issued, Refund Partially Adjusted, Refund Adjusted, Refund Fully Adjusted or Refund Failed. Therefore, receiving a refund-processing notification does not necessarily mean the money has already been credited to your bank account.
Check Bank Account Details
If the portal shows that the refund has been issued but you have not received the money, verify the bank account registered on the portal. The account must be valid and properly validated to receive the refund.
Taxpayers can add and validate their bank account details through the e-filing portal if necessary.
Why Can an Income Tax Refund Fail?
A refund may fail for several reasons. Common issues include:
- Bank account not being validated
- Name mismatch between PAN and bank records
- Incorrect IFSC code
- Wrong account number
- Closed or inactive bank account
- Problems with Aadhaar-related authentication or linkage
Re-Validate Your Bank Account
Visit the My Bank Account section on the Income Tax portal and check the validation status. If an earlier validation attempt failed, correct the relevant information and submit the account for validation again.
Make sure your name, PAN-bank linkage, account number and account status are correct before requesting re-validation.