New Delhi: Taxpayers across the country are growing anxious as income tax refunds are taking far longer than expected this year. Even three months after the extended ITR deadline of September 16, 2025, lakhs of people are still seeing “Refund Pending” on the income tax portal. This is despite the department processing a record 7.57 crore returns and issuing Rs 2.42 lakh crore in refunds till November 10. Yet, a stubborn backlog of 1.5–2 crore cases remains unresolved with many involving genuine refunds ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 5 lakh, according to a Hindustan Times report.
Top Reasons Your Refund Is Stuck in 2025
Bank Account Not Pre-Validated
This is the most common reason for refund delays. Since July 2025, the income tax portal requires mandatory bank account pre-validation. If you updated or added a bank account after filing but didn’t click “Pre-validate,” the refund quietly fails in the background.
Fix: Go to e-File → Profile → My Bank Accounts → Pre-validate (takes 5 minutes).
Aadhaar–PAN Not Linked / PAN Marked Inoperative
If your PAN is “inoperative” because it wasn’t linked to Aadhaar before the June 30, 2025 deadline, refund processing stops instantly. Even minor mismatches in name or date of birth can block the linkage.
Fix: Complete Aadhaar–PAN linking from the portal homepage (about 2 minutes).
Mismatch in Form 26AS / AIS / Form 16
Any difference between your reported income and the data in Form 26AS, AIS, or Form 16 triggers verification checks. The system flags such returns for manual review, slowing down the entire process.
TDS Mismatches That Can Stall Your Refund
If the TDS you’ve claimed in your return is higher than what appears in Form 26AS or AIS, the system immediately flags it — and your refund gets delayed. This often happens when salary TDS isn’t updated by the employer, interest income from savings or fixed deposits is missing, or capital gains don’t match the figures reported by your broker.
Fix: Download the latest AIS and Form 26AS, check for differences, and file a revised return if needed (no penalty until December 31).
Manual Reviews and Verification Issues Slowing Refunds
High-Value Refunds Under Manual Scrutiny
The CBDT has confirmed that refunds above Rs 50,000 — or those involving large deductions like 80C, 80D, HRA, or capital loss set-offs — are undergoing manual review this year. Many taxpayers have even received emails or letters asking them to file revised returns before processing can continue.
Fix: Check your registered email and SMS regularly and respond within 30 days so your refund can move forward.
E-Verification Not Completed or Done Incorrectly
If you file your return but forget to e-verify it, the processing never actually begins. The same happens if you send a physical ITR-V instead of completing online verification.
Fix: e-Verify instantly using Aadhaar OTP or net banking. Remember, you must do this within 30 days of filing.
Current Refund Processing Timelines (Dec 2025)
Simple salary returns: 10–17 days → Mostly cleared
Standard cases (verified + validated bank): 20–30 days → Around 80% cleared
High-value or mismatch cases: 45–90+ days → Majority still pending
Revised returns (after notices): 30–60 days post-revision → Increasing volume
How to Check Your Refund Status and Speed Up the Process
Three Easy Ways to Check Your Refund Status
1. Through the Income Tax Portal (Best Option)
Log in to the portal → go to e-File → Income Tax Returns → View Filed Returns → choose AY 2025–26 → click View Details.
Here, you’ll see your exact status, such as:
“ITR Processed – Refund Issued on DD-MM-YYYY”
“Refund Failed – Bank Account Not Validated”
“Under Processing – Additional Information Required”
2. Through the NSDL-TIN Website
Visit the NSDL-TIN refund status page and check it using your PAN + Assessment Year.
3. Through SMS
Send “ITRSTATUS <12-digit Acknowledgement Number>” to 7738299899 and get the status instantly.
What If Your Refund Is Still Delayed?
– You start earning 0.5% interest per month (6% yearly) under Section 244A from April 1, 2025.
– No penalty applies for genuine delays.
– If your refund is stuck for more than 90 days, raise a grievance on the portal via e-Nivaran → Refund Failure.
Quick Fixes That Clear 90% of Stuck Refunds
– Re-do bank account pre-validation, even if you’ve done it before.
– Ensure Aadhaar–PAN is linked.
– Download the latest AIS/26AS, compare with your return, and file a revised ITR if the mismatch exceeds Rs 50.
– Check for emails/SMS from CPC Bengaluru — even in spam.
If your refund is above Rs 50,000 and you haven’t received a notice, consider filing a revised return with accurate details.
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