Income Tax Refund Delays: Key Reasons and Steps to Check Status

Many taxpayers are complaining on social media that they still haven’t received their income tax refunds, even five months after filing their tax returns. The Income Tax Department has tightened investigations due to which it is taking longer processing time.

Reasons why refunds are getting delayed?

Income tax refunds get delayed when the tax return is not fully completed or when the tax department finds some mismatch or issue in the details submitted. One of the major reason for delay is failure to verify ITR. Taxpayers think that filing is enough but, if the return is not verified then it will be considered as invalid. Taxpayers can easily verify using methods such as Aadhaar OTP, net banking, EVC, or by sending a signed ITR-V form to the CPC in Bengaluru.

Some other reasons are:

• Outstanding tax demands
• Notices issued under Section 143(1) of the Income Tax Act, 1961
• Incorrect or inactive bank account details provided in the return

How to track your income tax refund

Here’s how you can track your refund status:

Step 1: Go to the ‘Income Tax India e-filing website’.

Step 2: Log in to the website.

Step 3: Go to ‘View Returns/Forms’ and select ‘Income Tax Returns’.

Step 4: Fill in the assessment year and submit.

Step 5: Lastly, choose the relevant ITR acknowledgement number to check your refund status.