How to Check Income Tax Refund Status Online – 2025

What is the Income Tax?
A tax on income is a type of charge the Government is authorized to impose on the annual income of businesses and individuals. Taxpayers are bound by the law to file annual tax returns to ascertain their tax obligations. Tax obligation is usually proportionate to the income of an individual i.e., higher the income, higher the tax on income is payable, and vice versa.
Tax on income is a source of revenue for the Government to fund its various obligations, operate public services, and provide goods to its citizens. However, there are certain investments, as decided by the Government, that are exempt from tax on income.
What is income cess/tax refund?
An income cess/tax refund is the receiving back of the taxes paid by the taxpayer, which are more than his/her actual tax liability. After you file your income cess/tax return, your tax on income refund is determined by the income cess/tax authorities for that particular financial year. In most scenarios, the tax on income refund is processed by the income cess/tax authorities within three months.
However, some reasons can cause a delay in the processing of your tax on income refund:
- Inaccurate bank details
- In case your bank account is outdated/closed.
- Your income cess/tax refund claim is under assessment for validations by your Assessing Officer (AO)
- Delay in filing income cess/tax returns, past the deadline.
Few cases of Income Tax Refund:
Explained below are a few examples where a taxpayer can claim an income cess/tax refund:
- In actuality, your taxable income for the financial year is zero; however, the bank has deducted TDS on your fixed deposits.
- Pending tax on income adjustments of the previous financial year are receivable as an income tax refund in the current fiscal year.
- You have filed your income tax returns after self-assessment, but after calculating permitted deductions, your tax obligation is lower, which makes you eligible for an income cess/tax refund.
- If there is a delay in claiming 80C deductions, investments, or expenses that are eligible for a tax deduction, after your employer has already deducted income cess/tax (TDS), you can request an income cess/tax refund.
- If your annual income is taxable in another country and you have paid income cess/tax in India as well, then you can claim an income cess/tax refund.
- You end up paying advance tax over your actual tax liability.
You need to file an income cess/tax return online.
What are the Different Types of Income Tax Refund Status?
Understanding the status of refunds is critical to track the progress of your tax return. Here are the different types:
- Not Determined: This status means that the Income Tax Department has not yet processed your tax return, and the amount you get back has not been determined.
- No e-Filing for this Assessment Year: If this appears, it indicates that you either haven’t filed your ITR online or manually.
- Refund Paid: This status confirms that your amount you can get back has been credited to your bank account successfully.
- ITR Proceeds Determined, and Sent to Refund Banker: Your ITR status on money you get back shows that the return has been processed and sent.
- Refund Unpaid: This implies that the department could not transfer the money back to your bank account due to errors in bank details or validation issues.
- No Demand No Refund: If it says your ITR is processed with no demand refund, it means the tax calculation is accurate, and there is neither a demand nor you get the money back.
- Demand Determined: This status indicates that the department has found a discrepancy in your filing and additional tax needs to be paid.
- Contact Your Jurisdictional Assessing Officer: This requires you to clarify details with the tax department.
- Rectification Proceeds, Refund Determined, Sent Out to Refund Banker: This status confirms the rectification process is complete, and the money return is being issued.
- Rectification Proceeded On, No Demand No Refund: Here, your rectified returns show no outstanding demand or money back.
- Rectification Proceeded, Demand Determined: Post rectification, the department found additional taxes due, payable within 30 days.
The process to claim Income Tax Refund
The process to claim an income tax refund is more or less the same as filing income cess/tax returns, though you need to ensure that you have E – verified your ITR within 120 days of submitting your income cess/tax returns. Else, the ITR and refund will not be processed.
What is e-verification in ITR?
E-verification is an Electronic Verification Code (EVC) that is sent to the registered mobile number of the taxpayer at the time of filing the ITR online, to verify the identity of the tax filers. The Electronic Verification Code (EVC) is generated through the E-filing portal of the income cess/tax Department.
- Once the Income-tax department’s software picks your Income-tax return, your refund is processed at the earliest. This process usually takes anywhere between 40 to 45 days from the date of E-verification.
- Before you receive your income cess/tax refund, you will receive an intimation regarding the same from the Income-tax department on your registered email ID as well as mobile.
- It is also important to note that it is mandatory to pre-validate your bank account to receive your income cess/tax refund on time.
Until when can an income cess/tax refund be claimed?
- A taxpayer is allowed to claim income cess/tax refunds up to 2 years from the financial year-end for which the income cess/tax refund is due. E.g., If the income cess/tax refund is for the fiscal year-end 31st March 2021, the taxpayer has to claim the refund latest by 31st March 2023.
- In case the taxpayer wants to claim refund pending for more than two years, he/she will need to follow the guidelines of the CBDT Circular No: 9/2015 for requesting a pending income cess/tax refund of up to six assessment years. However, the taxpayer must fulfill certain conditions to make sure the application to excuse the delay in claiming the Income-tax authorities accept a refund.
How to Request for Tax Refund Reissue?
If your income tax refund pending refund status shows a failure or delay, follow these steps to request a reissue:
- Visit the official income tax portal refund status page.
- Log in using your User ID/ PAN/ Aadhaar Number and password.
- Navigate to the ‘Refund Reissue’ option under the Services tab.
- If this issue is due to failure, click on Create Refund Reissue Request.
- Select the year of the refund under the ‘Response’ section and click on Submit.
- Provide details like Bank Account Number, IFSC Code, and account type, and confirm.
- Submit the form, and the amount will be credited to your account in a few days.
Can You Rectify Mistakes Before Placing a Request for ITR Reissue?
Yes, you can. For errors in your bank details or incorrect filings:
- Log in to the income tax portal refund status section.
- Select the Refund Reissue under ‘Services.’
- Confirm the TDS refund status check online details and continue.
- Verify the bank account details with Aadhaar OTP or net banking.
- Submit the reissue request and track the TDS refund status check by acknowledgement number.
How to Check the Income Tax Refund Status Online in 2024?
There are two methods for checking your income cess/tax refund status online for AY 2023-24:
1. By visiting the TIN-NSDL Website:
- Visit https://tin.tin.nsdl.com/oltas/refundstatuslogin.html, income cess/tax Refund status’s online checking portal.
- Enter your PAN details and choose the applicable assessment year and enter the Captcha code.
- Click on the ‘Proceed’ button to know the latest status of your income cess/tax refund claim.
2. By visiting the E-Filing website
Under this category, there are two ways of checking the status of your income cess/tax refund:
- Checking the income cess/tax refund status on e-Filing site by Logging in
- Visit https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/home and log in to your account with your User ID and Password.
- On the dashboard, click on the 2nd option i.e., “View Returns/Forms.”
- Select the option “income cess/tax Return.”
- This option will generate the list of all income cess/tax returns filed by you.
- Now, click on the Acknowledgement Number.
- This number will generate all the information regarding your income cess/tax returns, including the status of your income cess/tax refund application.
- It takes up to 10 days for your income cess/tax refund status to be updated after the IT department has processed the refund to your bank account.
- Checking the income tax refund status on e-Filing site without Logging in
- Visit https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/home
- Select the “ITR Status” option under “Quick Links” on the left side of the website’s home page.
- Enter the required details; ITR Acknowledgement Number, PAN, and Captcha Code and click on “Submit” to generate your latest income cess/tax refund status.
How to Check Refund Reissue Status?
In order to track TDS status for money return for your reissue, follow these steps:
- Log in to the income tax e-filing portal.
- Click ‘Service Request’ from your My Account category.
- Select the ‘Request Type’ as ‘View Request’ and ‘Request Category’ as “Refund Reissue.”
- Click on the Submit button to get the results of our reissue request.
Why is it Important to Check the Status of Your Income Tax Refund?
Regular checking the ITR status ensures:
- Avoiding Fraud: Tracking the e refund status prevents scams where they are falsely claimed in your name.
- Timely Processing: Helps confirm if your return has been processed or if the processing time is delayed.
- Accuracy: Ensure the refund details match your expectations, allowing rectifications if needed.
- Budgeting: Knowing its status lets you plan for the credited amount for investments or expenses.
Reasons for ITR Refund Failure
Such failures can occur due to the following reasons:
- Bank account is not pre-validated.
- The account linked for getting the money back has been closed.
- The account type is not a savings or current account.
- KYC details are incomplete.
- Incorrect bank details entered.
- PAN and Aadhaar are not linked to the bank account, rendering it inoperative.
When Can You Claim an Income Tax Refund?
You can claim this in the following situations:
- Excess TDS Deducted from Salary Income: If your employer deducts more tax than necessary due to insufficient proof of eligible deductions.
- Excess Advanced Tax Paid: When your self-assessment tax exceeds the actual liability, a refund can be claimed.
- Excess TDS on Interest Income: Banks deduct tax on interest earned beyond a threshold, which can be claimed back.
- Double Taxation: Incomes taxed in multiple countries are eligible under Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAA).
Taxpayers’ appeals may reduce tax liability after proceedings, entitling you to your monet back.
How Much Income Tax Refund is Received by the Taxpayer?
The refund amount is determined after processing the return under Section 143(1). The processed due intimation informs taxpayers about the approved amount, which could differ from the amount initially claimed due to adjustments during the assessment.
Interest on Income Tax Refund
According to Section 244A, it deals with income tax refunds and provides an interest rate of 0.5% monthly or part of the month of your amount. This interest on this money back is calculated from the 1st of April of the assessment year till the money back date if a it is due to excess advance tax paid or TDS deduction.
Income Tax Refund Helpline
If you have any queries regarding your ITR processing or refund status, you can submit your grievance on the respective portal. Simply log in to your income tax e-filing portal, go to ‘Grievances’ and click on ‘Submit Grievance.” You can then submit the details of your query.
Summary:
Tax refunds arise when taxpayers overpay their actual tax liability. Such refunds can be claimed within two years of the end of the financial year to which they pertain. Refunds are typically credited through ECS or by cheque. For refunds that have not materialized or have not received proper credit, taxpayers can lodge a request for refund re-issue on the e-Filing portal or contact the relevant tax authorities for support.
To check the status of your income cess/tax refund online for 2024, there are two primary methods. First – visit the TIN-NSDL website and enter your PAN details and the relevant assessment year to track your refund status. You can log in to the Income Tax e-Filing portal to view your refund status by accessing “View Returns/Forms” or use the “ITR Status” option without logging in on the portal, entering your PAN and ITR acknowledgment number. The refunds are processed usually within 40 to 45 days after e-verification, and it is important to validate your bank account in advance to ensure timely receipt.
Learn More:
Capital Gains Tax – LTCG & STCG Tax in India
Income Tax Refund Status Online
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5 Tax Saving Tips for Small Business Owners in India
Income Tax Refund Status Online FAQs:
1. How is excess income cess/tax paid by a taxpayer refunded?
2. Whom should the taxpayer do in case his/her refund has been processed as per the online TIN status, but not received?
3. What should a taxpayer do if he/she has not received the paper refund processed by the IT department?
4. Whom should a taxpayer contact for general refund related queries?
5. Why does the refund status show ‘Refund Expire’?
Income Tax Refund News
New Income Tax Rules pertaining to Cash Withdrawals and Deposits: Aadhar and PAN mandatory
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has mandated the quoting of PAN and Aadhaar numbers for every withdrawal greater than Rs 20 Lakh. Also, it is stipulated that bothPAN and Aadhaar card numbers are necessary when opening a cash credit or current account.
PAN linkage establishes a financial trail for the income tax department. Limits on cash withdrawals ensure the reduction and efficient tracking of cash transactions.
Highlights of the New Income Tax Rule
1. For initiating deposits of greater than Rs 20 lakh, quoting the PAN or Aadhaar is mandatory and this rule also applies to cooperative societies and post offices in addition to banks.
2. To apply checks and balances on the cash route of unaccounted financial transactions, it is mandatory for all cash withdrawals of Rs 20 lakh or more to be followed by the validation of PAN and Aadhaar details.
The new IT rules enable effective tracing of cash movements across the financial system. Coupled with the TDS dedications, the new updated IT rules will serve the purpose of blocking the loopholes.
Updated Date: 14th June 2022
Issuance of tax refunds of about 1.83 lakh crore to more than 2 crore taxpayers
On Thursday, the Income Tax department announced the issuance of refunds to the taxpayers so far this financial year. Personal income tax refunds and corporate tax refunds are ancillary to it. CBDT will return to more than 2.07 taxpayers, nearly an amount of 1.83 lakh crore. This also includes refunds of the 2020 – 2021 fiscal year that came to an end on 31st March 2021 of Rs. 33,818.97 crore to 1.67 crore entities who pay tax. Refunds of personal income tax of Rs. 65,498 crore to a population of 2.04 crore and the corporate tax to 2.30 lakh people of Rs. 1.17 lakh crore is included in it.
Updated Date: 02-03-2022