How Can I Check My Tax Refund Status? Income Tax Refund Delayed

Another thing worth checking is whether the refund was failed or returned by the bank.

I had a case where the return was processed and the refund was determined, but the credit didn't happen because there was an issue with the bank details. There was a separate process for requesting reissue of the refund after correcting the bank account information.

So if your return says processed but the money isn't there, don't immediately assume the Income Tax Department hasn't issued it.

I'd check the refund status first and look for any message explaining the reason.

For checking the ITR itself, the Income Tax Department's e-Filing portal has a “View Filed Returns” area where you can see the return status and download documents such as the acknowledgement and processing-related information.

If you're an NRI and your refund involves a substantial amount, keep the ITR acknowledgement, computation, bank details and Section 143(1) intimation handy in case you need to raise a refund-related request.

The portal instructions can change, so verify the current process directly with the Income Tax Department.

I recently checked mine through the Income Tax e-Filing portal and found the refund information under the return details.

For anyone confused about the terminology, filing the return and receiving the refund are two different stages. You can successfully file and verify an ITR without the refund being credited immediately.

I would first download the intimation under Section 143(1) if the return has already been processed. That document should tell you whether a refund was actually determined and the amount.

If the intimation shows a refund but you haven't received the money, then I'd look at the refund status separately.

I've also seen people assume that a refund is delayed when the bank account itself wasn't properly validated. So check the bank-account section on the e-Filing portal.

For an NRI, I'd be particularly careful about which Indian bank account is registered for the refund and whether the account is eligible to receive the credit.

If the portal shows that the refund has been issued but your bank hasn't credited it, check with the bank and the refund-status facility rather than filing the ITR again.

I had a similar issue last year. The first thing I would check is whether your ITR has actually been processed rather than just successfully filed.

On the Income Tax e-Filing portal, you can go to the ITR status section and check the latest status of the return. If the return has been processed and a refund is determined, the refund information should be available there.

There is also a separate refund tracking facility operated through the income-tax refund system. In my case, the status there was more useful for seeing whether the refund had actually been issued.

One thing that caught me out was my bank account. I had multiple accounts added to the e-Filing portal, but the account I expected the refund in wasn't the one selected for refund credit.

So I'd check:

1. ITR processing status
2. Refund amount determined in the intimation/order
3. Bank account nominated for refund
4. Bank account validation
5. Refund status

If everything looks correct but the refund hasn't arrived, give it some time and check whether there is a communication or failed-refund message.

The exact process can change, so I'd use the current Income Tax Department portal instructions rather than an old article.