The Income Tax Department has recently begun sending text messages and emails to a section of taxpayers whose income tax refunds are still pending, triggering widespread discussion on social media platforms,
including X (formerly Twitter). The communication informs taxpayers that their return is “under risk management process” and asks them to revise their income tax return (ITR) by December 31, failing which any correction will have to be made through an updated return that could attract additional tax liability.
What has caused confusion is the lack of specifics in these alerts. While the message mentions discrepancies in the return, it does not spell out the exact issue. Several taxpayers have posted online that they were told further details would be shared by email, but no such follow-up communication has been received so far.
According to tax professionals, these alerts are being issued largely to taxpayers who have claimed high refunds or where there is a mismatch between deductions claimed in the ITR and details available in Form 16 or other supporting documents. Cases involving sensitive or high-risk deductions, such as political donations, dubious deductions or improper disclosure of foreign assets, also appear to be under scrutiny.
Earlier, when returns were flagged under high-risk management, taxpayers were able to respond through a “pending action” option in the worklist on the income tax portal. However, many taxpayers who have received the current alert say there is no such pending action visible. On logging into the portal, they typically see two response options; one stating that the return has been revised with the correct refund claim, and the other affirming that the return filed is correct. Despite this, no further action is currently required in most cases.
Got an SMS from the Income Tax Dept saying my refund claim is under “risk management”, but portal still shows Under Processing and no notice/email yet.
Anyone faced this before? What’s the right thing to do — wait or revise? #IncomeTax #ITRRefund pic.twitter.com/TO5T9ToD9I— Piyush Bhatt (@PiyushBhat13646) December 22, 2025
Experts advise taxpayers not to panic. If the return has been filed correctly and all deductions are fully supported by documents, no immediate action is needed. However, taxpayers should continue to monitor their worklist on the income tax portal regularly in case a specific query or notice is raised later.
If, on review, a taxpayer finds that an incorrect deduction has been claimed or the refund amount is overstated, it is advisable to revise the return before December 31. While revisions are possible even after this date, they may come with additional tax outgo or penalties.
