24.64 Lakh ITRs Remain Unprocessed for Over 3 Months

More than 24.64 lakh income tax returns have been pending for processing for over 90 days, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday.

Responding to a question about delays, the government said that for the Assessment Year (AY) 2025-26, a total of 8.79 crore income tax returns were filed by taxpayers till February 4, 2026. Out of these, about 24.64 lakh returns were still pending for processing for more than 90 days as of January 31, 2026.

The statement was made by Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha. He added that under the NUDGE campaign, around 1.11 crore updated or revised ITRs were filed in the last two years.

Apart from this, taxpayers paid additional taxes of Rs. 6,976.50 crore. In December 2025, the total refund claims adjusted against additional or reduced taxes amounted to Rs. 1,834 crore. The total revenue impact of the NUDGE campaign was Rs. 8,810.59 crore.

Pankaj Chaudhary said in reply to another question in the house, “Substantial percentage of these individuals are first-time/non-filers to whom communication was sent or who filed the returns during the period on becoming aware through the media.”

Under the NUDGE campaign, the Income Tax Department sends communications to select taxpayers asking them to review and revise/update the Income Tax Returns (ITRs) they have already filed.

The selected taxpayers include those who have failed to report their foreign assets or foreign income or who have claimed incorrect or excessive deductions and exemptions under sections such as 80G, 80GGC, and 80E. The main objective is to allow taxpayers to correct any mistakes on their own.