Why Is My ITR Refund Delayed?

Another thing I'd check is whether there is an outstanding demand against your PAN.

The Income Tax Department says an outstanding demand can be adjusted against a refund. You can check this under:

Pending Actions → Response to Outstanding Demand

If there is an outstanding demand, the portal will show it and allow you to respond where applicable.

Also check your registered email and the e-Filing portal for any communication regarding your ITR or refund.

If the refund has actually failed, rather than simply being delayed, there is a separate Refund Reissue facility on the e-Filing portal. The department says this facility can be used when a refund has failed, provided the required bank account and verification conditions are met.

So I wouldn't immediately submit a refund reissue request unless the portal actually shows that the refund has failed.

The first thing I'd check is the refund status of the filed ITR, rather than assuming that the refund has been rejected.

The Income Tax Department says refund processing starts after the return has been e-verified. Its current guidance says that refunds usually take around 4–5 weeks to be credited, although individual cases can take longer. If the refund hasn't arrived during that period, the department recommends checking for any communication about discrepancies in the return and checking the refund status.

You can log in to the e-Filing portal and go to:

e-File → Income Tax Returns → View Filed Returns

Then select the relevant assessment year and view the return details. The portal shows the lifecycle/status of the return and refund, where applicable.

I'd check that before taking any further action.

I had a refund issue once that turned out to be related to the bank account rather than the ITR itself.

The Income Tax Department says a bank account needs to be validated and nominated for receiving the refund. Refund credit can fail if, for example, the account isn't pre-validated, the name doesn't match the PAN details, the IFSC is incorrect or the account is closed.

So I would go into My Profile → My Bank Account and check:

• Whether the account is validated
• Whether it is nominated for refund
• Whether the account is active
• Whether the PAN is linked with the account
• Whether the account-holder name matches the PAN records
• Whether the IFSC and account details are correct

For an NRI, I'd also make sure the account selected for the refund is actually an eligible Indian bank account. The department's current bank-account guidance specifically lists NRO accounts among the account types that can be pre-validated.

I filed from Singapore in June, and my refund arrived roughly two weeks after my return was processed.

I also checked AIS and Form 26AS several times because I thought maybe there was a mismatch, but everything was correct. I eventually called the helpline, and they confirmed there was no issue with my return—it was simply still moving through the refund cycle.

From what I've seen, refund timelines can vary depending on the return and any verification steps. If everything looks correct in your account, it may just require a little more time.

Mine took a little longer because of a bank account issue.

I'm based in the UK, and although my account was linked on the portal, it hadn't been successfully revalidated after I changed some account details earlier this year. The refund couldn't be credited until I completed the bank account validation again.

Once I updated everything, the refund was released within about a week.

It might be worth opening the "My Bank Accounts" section in the e-Filing portal just to confirm the account still shows as validated and eligible for refunds.