Still Awaiting Income Tax Refund? Common Mistakes, CBDT Warning, and How to Check Status

Several taxpayers are still frustrated with the fact that it’s been more than 3 months since the ITR deadline, and taxpayers have still not received their refunds.

Recently, the Income Tax Department had sent a series of text messages/SMS to the taxpayers who had filed ITRs for the AY2025-26, but a few discrepancies were noted in their returns. In this case, the tax department has informed taxpayers that they are required to furnish a revised return by December 31, 2025; otherwise, their refunds could be stuck.

A notification has also been issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), reading, “It is advised that the concerned taxpayers review their ITRs, verify the correctness of their deduction and exemption claims, and revise their returns, if required, within the prescribed time by 31st December 2025, so as to avoid further inquiries in the matter.”

The tax department has also clarified that the taxpayers who have made genuine deduction or exemption claims are not required to take any further action. Records uncovered that about 21 lakh taxpayers have already revised their ITRs for the Assessment Year 2025-26.

Several taxpayers have a common grievance that they filed their ITR for the FY2024-25 before the initial due date, i.e., July 31, 2025, so why have they not received their refunds yet? Here are the categories of taxpayers whose refunds have been stuck this FY2024-25:

• Taxpayers whose bank accounts are not pre-validated.
• Taxpayers whose names are mentioned in bank accounts do not match those mentioned in their PANs.
• Taxpayers whose IFSC codes are noted to be incorrect.
• The accounts mentioned in the ITRs are not found to be in existence.
• Returns caught with discrepancies in them. Taxpayers falling under this category have already been informed about the mistake discovered in their returns; they can now file a revised ITR to rectify this mistake.

Here is the list of these key discrepancies noted by the tax department in returns of taxpayers this FY2024-25:

• “Bogus” donations to registered unrecognised political parties (RUPPs), with incorrect PANs of donees in some cases;
• Mismatch between tax deducted at source (TDS) and annual
• Information Statement (AIS) reflecting higher income;
• Large deductions or ineligible claims;
• Non-disclosure of foreign assets or income.

Here is the step-by-step procedure to check refund status online at the e-filing portal:

• Step 1: Visit the income tax e-filing portal at https://eportal.incometax.gov.in/iec/foservices/#/login.
• Step 2: Log in to your account using PAN/Aadhaar/Other ID and then enter your password on screen.
• Step 3: Navigate to the e-File tab, then select ‘Income Tax Returns,’ and click on ‘View Filed Returns.’
• Step 4: Choose the appropriate assessment year, i.e., AY 2025-26.
• Step 5: Select ‘View Details’ to see your return and refund status. The screen will display three options: ITR processing status, refund status (issued/failed/under processing), and date of refund issue and amount (if already released).