You filed your return, the portal said success, and now you are refreshing your bank app every morning. This guide explains your income tax refund status the way a friend would: the exact journey your money takes, what every status message really means, how long each stage should take for AY 2026-27, the interest the department owes you when it is slow, and the precise fix for every way a refund gets stuck.
Quick answer: The department describes refund credit as usually taking around four to five weeks after e-verification. This is guidance, not a guaranteed deadline. Check the return status, any pending notice and the nominated, validated bank account before raising a grievance.
Think of it like returning extra change
During the year, tax was taken from you in advance: your employer deducted TDS every month, your bank cut TDS on interest, maybe you paid advance tax. When you file your return, you are telling the government the final bill. If the advance collections were more than the bill, the difference is your refund. But before returning your change, the shopkeeper checks the bill. That checker is the CPC, the Centralised Processing Centre in Bengaluru, a fully automated system that compares your return against its own records (your Form 26AS and AIS).
The five stops on the refund journey
| Stage | What it means | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Filed | The portal has received the return. | Keep the acknowledgement and complete verification. |
| E-verified | The verification requirement has been completed. | The ordinary verification window is 30 days from filing. |
| Under processing | The return is being processed. | Check email and pending actions for any request. |
| Intimation under 143(1) | The department shows the processed computation. | Compare income, credits, interest and any demand adjustment. |
| Refund issued or failed | The payment was sent, or a payment problem was reported. | Check bank credit or correct the reported failure and request reissue. |
Missed the 30-day verification window? Check the portal’s late-verification and condonation process. The filing date and return validity can be affected; do not assume you must simply file again. An updated return (ITR-U) cannot be used to create or increase a refund.
How to check your refund status, click by click
- Log in at incometax.gov.in with your PAN.
- Go to e-File, then Income Tax Returns, then View Filed Returns.
- Your returns appear newest first. The status is written under the AY 2026-27 entry.
- Click View Details on it for the full timeline, including the refund amount, the issue date, and the bank account it went to.
What each status actually means
| Status on the portal | Plain meaning | Your move |
|---|---|---|
| Submitted, pending e-verification | The return is parked, the clock has NOT started. | E-verify today. |
| Successfully e-verified | The return is ready for processing. | Monitor the status and any department communication. |
| Under processing | The department is processing the return. | Check for pending notices or information requests. |
| Processed with refund due | The computation shows a refund. | Monitor payment status; an intimation is not a bank-credit guarantee. |
| Refund issued | Paid. The date and amount are shown. | Check the bank statement. |
| Refund failed | The bank rejected the credit. | Fix the account, request reissue (steps below). |
| Processed with demand due | CPC says you owe MORE tax, not less. | Read the 143(1) intimation, then pay or contest. |
| Defective under 139(9) | A defect has been identified. | Respond within the notice period, ordinarily 15 days, or seek an allowed extension. |
A worked refund-interest example
Suppose Priya files AY 2026-27 on time and has a Rs 18,500 refund arising entirely from excess TDS. Her tax determined under section 143(1) is Rs 1,00,000, so the refund exceeds the relevant 10% threshold. Assume the refund is granted in August 2026 and there is no period of delay attributable to her.
The illustrative interest is Rs 18,500 × 0.5% × 5 months (April through August) = Rs 462.50 before statutory rounding. This is an example, not a reported CPC payment. The intimation and applicable rounding rules determine the final credited amount.
How section 244A refund interest works
The usual rate is simple interest of 0.5% per month or part of a month. The period depends on the source of the refund and the filing date. For eligible advance-tax/TDS/TCS refunds with a timely return, it ordinarily starts on 1 April of the assessment year; for a late return it ordinarily starts on the filing date. For self-assessment-tax refunds, it starts from the later of filing or payment.
For the refunds covered by section 244A(1)(a) and (aa), no interest is payable if the refund is below 10% of the tax determined under section 143(1) or regular assessment. The denominator is tax determined, not total tax paid. Delay attributable to the taxpayer is excluded. Refund principal is not income, but eligible refund interest is taxable; reconcile it to the intimation and report it appropriately.
Why refunds get stuck, and the exact fix for each
- Not e-verified. Complete verification. If the 30-day period has passed, check the late-verification/condonation option and its effect on the return date and validity. Do not use ITR-U to claim a refund.
- Bank account not pre-validated. The refund can only go to an account that is validated on the portal and linked to your PAN. Fix: Profile, then My Bank Account, then Add or Re-validate; follow the validation status and resolve any reported error.
- Name mismatch. The bank account name must match the PAN name (maiden names and spelling variants trip this). Fix: validate a different account that matches, then request reissue.
- TDS mismatch. You claimed TDS that is not in Form 26AS, so CPC trimmed the refund. Fix: check our AIS vs 26AS guide, get the deductor to correct their filing, then file a rectification under Section 154 on the portal.
- Adjustment against an old demand (section 245). Read the proposed adjustment notice and respond within its stated window. Agree where correct or dispute it with the relevant payment and assessment records; a challenge does not automatically cancel the demand.
- Defective return under 139(9). Respond within the notice period, ordinarily 15 days, or request an allowed extension. Read the notice before choosing a response; an uncorrected defect can make the return invalid.
- Additional checks. A return may need information or verification before processing. A large amount alone neither proves a problem nor guarantees that no action is needed; check pending communications.
How to request a refund reissue, step by step
- First make sure a bank account shows Validated under Profile, then My Bank Account.
- Go to Services, then Refund Reissue.
- Click Create Refund Reissue Request, select the return, pick the validated account, and submit.
- E-verify the request with Aadhaar OTP. Track the reissue request; no fixed bank-credit period is guaranteed.
Still nothing? Escalate in this order
- Check the return status, pending actions, bank validation and the refund-reissue status.
- If the issue remains unresolved, raise a portal grievance with the acknowledgement number and relevant intimation. Use the official contact page for current CPC support numbers.
- Distinguish a usual processing time from the legal intimation limit. Section 143(1) ordinarily prevents an intimation after nine months from the end of the financial year in which the return was filed. An AY 2026-27 return filed in July 2026 therefore has an ordinary intimation limit of 31 December 2027. This is not a promise that every refund will be credited by that date, and section 244A interest depends on its own conditions.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the income tax refund take in 2026?
The department gives around four to five weeks after e-verification as a usual refund-credit period. Individual cases can take longer. For a return filed during FY 2026-27, the ordinary section 143(1) intimation limit is 31 December 2027, measured from the end of the filing financial year. This is not a guaranteed refund-payment deadline.
How do I check my income tax refund status?
Log in at incometax.gov.in, go to e-File, then Income Tax Returns, then View Filed Returns, and open the latest return. The status line tells you exactly where it is: verified, under processing, processed with refund due, or refund issued with the date and amount.
What is the intimation under Section 143(1)?
It is the CPC report card on your return, emailed to you as a password-protected PDF. It shows your figures next to the department computed figures. The password is your PAN in lowercase followed by your date of birth as DDMMYYYY. If both columns match, the refund follows; if not, it explains the difference.
Why is my refund less than what I claimed?
Three common reasons. The CPC corrected an arithmetic or TDS mismatch, so read the two columns of your 143(1) intimation. Or an old outstanding demand was adjusted against the refund under Section 245, which requires a prior notice you may have missed. Or interest under 234B or 234C was recalculated. The intimation always itemises the change.
What should I do if my refund failed?
Refund failure is almost always a bank problem: account not pre-validated, closed, or the name does not match your PAN. Fix the account first (Profile, then My Bank Account, then re-validate), then raise a reissue request: Services, then Refund Reissue, pick the validated account, and e-verify the request. Track the reissue status and respond to any error; timing varies.
Is the income tax refund taxable?
The refund itself is not income, it is your own money coming back. But the interest the department pays you on it under Section 244A is taxable. It appears in your AIS, so report it under income from other sources in the year you receive it.
Official source: Check your return and refund only on incometax.gov.in. The department never asks for card details or OTPs to release a refund; those messages are scams.
Related: Which ITR form to file · AIS vs 26AS vs TIS · ITR-U updated return · Section 234 interest calculator
See all our free tax calculators and tools
Sources: Refund status manual; Section 143(1); Section 244A; E-verification FAQ.