Income Tax Refund Status 2025: This year many people who filed their income tax returns early are getting their refunds much quicker, especially if they are salaried and used the basic ITR-1 form. Chartered accountants are saying that people who had only simple incomes and used ITR-1 or ITR-4 (Sugam) didn’t have to wait long for their refunds.
But on the other side, those who had to use forms like ITR-2 and ITR-3 had to wait longer to even file their returns because the income tax department released these forms later than usual. So, if someone had capital gains, foreign income, or owned foreign assets, they had no choice but to wait and then file their returns later.
Still some people are saying their refund hasn’t come yet. If you are one of them, then you can go check your status by logging into the income tax e-filing portal incometax.gov.in.
Foreign Travel Tax 2025: Know the New Foreign Travel Tax Rules
After logging in, you can go to the ‘e-file’ section, then ‘income tax returns’, and then click on ‘view filed returns’ to know your refund status. Also, if you want to ask someone directly, you can call the State Bank of India helpline number 18004259760 because SBI is the refund banker selected by the income tax department.
Income Tax Refund Status 2025: Why your refund might be stuck?
If you still didn’t get the refund, it could be because of a few common reasons. One of the main problems people are facing is something called an ITR-AIS mismatch. Basically, the data you put in your ITR needs to match what is already mentioned in your AIS (Annual Information Statement) or Form-26AS (which shows your tax credit). If there is any mismatch, the system may not process your refund on time.
Aadhaar not linked with PAN
Another reason is if your Aadhaar is not linked with your PAN. This can cause delays, and sometimes the refund won’t even go through to your bank. If your PAN is not active because it’s not linked with Aadhaar, the website will show an alert. It will ask you to pay Rs 1,000 as a penalty under Section 234H of the Income-tax Act before you can proceed.
Use of wrong ITR form
A lot of people also make the mistake of picking the wrong ITR form. Like, if someone earns foreign income or owns foreign assets and still files ITR-1, then that’s not the correct form. They should have used ITR-2 instead. Filing the wrong form makes the system think you are hiding income or some financial details, and it could make your return ‘defective’. Once that happens, your return won’t be processed, and you won’t get the refund on time.
Bank Errors
Some refunds get stuck because of simple bank mistakes. For example, if you enter wrong bank details or IFSC code, or if the bank account you entered is already closed, the refund won’t reach you. Also, the bank account you choose has to be pre-validated. This is something you have to do before filing your return. If you don’t, it can cause delays.
How to Appoint a Nominee for Your EPF, Mutual Funds, and Bank Accounts Online?
Data mismatch
There’s also something called bank account-PAN mismatch. This happens when the name on your bank account is very different from the name on your PAN. This is seen more in joint accounts or if there are spelling mistakes in names. These mismatches can make the refund process harder.
Tax dues
Your refund could be held back because you owe some tax dues. If you had some tax pending from before, the refund can be adjusted against that amount. In some cases, you might only get part of your refund, and in others, the full amount may be used to settle your old dues. If this happens, your refund status will show messages like ‘Processed and partially refund adjusted’ or ‘Processed and full amount adjusted’, depending on how much was used to settle the dues.
