Find out the status of your tax refund: A full guide on how to check your ITR refund

Still no credit for your ITR refund?

If you keep checking your bank account for your tax refund, this guide will show you how to check the status of your refund online and explain why it might take longer than expected.

What is the reason for the delay in your income tax refund, and when will it be credited?

The Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said that delays in refunds happen because the department looks into claims for deductions that might not be correct. People who haven't sent in all the information they need to file their taxes are being contacted to do so. CBDT says that refunds for small amounts are being sent out first. Most of the refunds that are still owed should be processed by December 2025.

Method 1 for checking ITR status online: the e-filing portal

1. Go to incometax.gov.in and log in with your ID and password.

2. Go to the e-File tab, then to Income Tax Returns, and finally to View Filed Returns.

3. Choose your Assessment Year to find out the status of your refund.

4. To see the full history of your filed ITR and keep track of where it is in the processing, click View Details.​Getty Images

Method 2: Check your income tax status by PAN number on the TIN website.

1. To check the status of your ITR refund by PAN number, go to https://tin.tin.nsdl.com/oltas/refund-status-pan.html.

2. Put in your PAN card number and choose the Assessment Year. Then, click Proceed to see your refund status right away.

Knowing what different ITR statuses mean

Your ITR can have different statuses:

1. "Submitted and pending e-verification" means you haven't verified yet.

2. "Successfully e-verified" means that it is waiting to be processed.

3. "Processed" means that your return is done.

4. "Defective" means that changes must be made by a certain date.

5. "Case transferred to AO" means that your jurisdictional officer will get in touch with you to give you more information.

Who can get a refund on their income tax?

If you pay more in taxes than you owe after claiming all of your eligible deductions, you will get an income tax refund. The Income Tax Department is basically giving you back the extra tax money you paid.

Interest on late income tax refunds

If you don't get your refund on time, the Income Tax Department pays you 0.5% interest every month. If you filed your ITR by September 16, interest starts on April 1 and ends on the date of the refund. If you filed late, interest starts on the date you filed.

This applies to TDS, TCS, advance tax, and self-assessment (under Section 140A) tax refunds where interest is paid from the later of the filing date or the payment date. For deductors who paid too much TDS/TCS, interest starts on the date the claim is filed.