ITR Refund Delay Explained: When the Money Comes and Why It’s Stuck for Many Taxpayers

Many taxpayers are still waiting for their ITR refunds for AY 2025–26, even though others already got theirs on time. Most delays are happening because the Income Tax Department is checking suspicious deduction claims and asking some people to file revised returns. Smaller refunds are being released, and the remaining ones are expected by December, depending on how each return was verified and processed. Checking status online helps understand what stage the refund is stuck in.

Why Refunds Are Taking Longer Than Usual This Year

Refund delays are not random this time. According to CBDT Chairman Ravi Agrawal, the department noticed many cases where deductions claimed looked doubtful or incomplete. So they slowed down processing to re-check these returns. If a person missed adding a document, gave wrong deduction details, or used unclear entries, the system pushes that return into a slower review track.

This is why some taxpayers got their refunds fast while others didn’t. The department is also sending reminders to file revised returns when important information was missing in the first one. Because of this extra assessment, the overall queue stretched longer.

When Will Your Refund Actually Get Credited

Agrawal said smaller refunds are already reaching bank accounts. The department found several wrong or excessive refund claims, so only clean and verified refunds are being cleared instantly. Bigger refunds or returns marked for cross-checking are moving slower, but the department says all pending ones should be paid by December if there are no new issues.

The refund timing depends on how early you filed, when you verified your return, and whether your calculations match the department’s numbers. Sometimes even one incorrect figure pushes the file for manual review, and then the timeline naturally becomes longer.

How to Check Your Refund Status Online

You can track the refund status on the Income Tax e-Filing portal. After logging in, you open the e-File menu, then Income Tax Returns, and then View Filed Returns. You can see the detailed status of your refund for the assessment year. When you click View Details, the portal shows the full timeline of your return, including when it was processed, whether any action is pending, and if the refund is already sent by the department.

Watching this timeline helps because you can see if the return is under review, if correction is needed, or if the bank already received the refund but failed to credit it.

What Different Refund Status Messages Actually Mean

The portal might show different messages depending on what happened with your refund. If it shows “Refund Issued,” the amount already left the department’s system. Sometimes it shows “Refund Partially Adjusted,” which means a part of your refund was used for past dues. “Refund Fully Adjusted” means the entire refund went towards older tax. “Refund Failed” appears if the bank could not credit the money because of account issues.

These status lines help identify whether the delay is from the department or from your bank details.

Common Reasons Why ITR Refunds Get Delayed

A refund delay often happens because there was an error in the return. This includes wrong tax calculations, missing entries, mismatched figures, or skipped disclosure of income. When the system finds anything unclear, it sends the return into a slower review channel. Bank account issues also block refunds. A refund fails when the account is not pre-validated, the PAN name does not match the bank name, the IFSC code is invalid, or the account is inactive or recently closed.

Fixing these details usually clears the refund quickly once the department re-processes the file.