Even as the income tax department ups its ante against the fake deductions, a section of taxpayers are still awaiting their tax return for this year. The refund delay 2025 comes even as the department is scrutinising
bogus tax claims “red-flagged” by the system. Ravi Agrawal, chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxation (CBDT), has said that the refunds would be cleared in December.
In November, the CBDT chairman said the department was analysing certain refund claims flagged by the system, either because they were “high-value” or due to deductions that required deeper scrutiny. He added that taxpayers have been advised to “file a revised return” wherever discrepancies exist.
When are income tax refunds usually issued?
Refund processing begins only after an ITR is successfully e-verified. Once that is done, the income tax department generally credits the refund within four to five weeks, as per the department’s guidelines.
This timeline is followed in most cases. When delays occur, they typically stem from common issues such as:
• An unvalidated bank account (mandatory for receiving refunds)
• An incorrect or inactive IFSC code
• A mismatch between the taxpayer’s name and the PAN details
• A discrepancy between the ITR and data in Form 26AS or the AIS
Missing an email or notification seeking clarification can also pause processing entirely.
How to check your income tax refund status
The refund status can be tracked anytime through the income tax portal. Here’s the step-by-step process:
Visit the portal at: eportal.incometax.gov.in/iec/foservices/.
Go to the e-Filing homepage.
Log in using your user ID and password.
Navigate to: e-File → Income Tax Returns → View Filed Returns
Select the relevant assessment year and click View Details.
This page will show whether your refund has been issued, is under review, or is pending due to additional information required.
Why are ITR refunds delayed in 2025?
Most delays arise from banking or identity-related discrepancies — wrong bank account numbers, invalid IFSC codes, unvalidated accounts, or PAN-Aadhaar linkage issues.
Refunds are also held back when deductions appear inaccurate or require supporting documentation. In such cases, the system routes the return for additional checks.
Mismatches between Form 16, Form 26AS and the AIS are another common trigger. Returns pulled into manual verification naturally take longer to process.
For a majority of taxpayers, refunds arrive within the usual four-five weeks. For others, the processing time depends on how quickly verification, bank detail correction, or responses to notices are completed. Ensuring that all records match and regularly checking the portal remain the easiest ways to avoid further delay.
