Haven't got your tax refund yet? Here's why it may be delayed

India Today

7 days ago

It's that time of year when many people are waiting for their income tax refunds to arrive. While some taxpayers have already got their money back, many are still waiting and wondering why it's taking so long.This year, the Income Tax Department has released offline Excel tools for forms ITR-2 and ITR-3, which are used by many individual taxpayers. But there have been some early technical glitches. Due to this, some tax professionals have not yet started filing these returns for their clients.On the other hand, people who use ITR-1 (Sahaj) and ITR-4 (Sugam), mostly pensioners, salaried people and small business owners, are getting their refunds faster, as these forms are running smoothly for now.If your refund hasn't arrived yet, here are some common reasons it might be held up.WRONG DEDUCTION CLAIMSSometimes, taxpayers claim deductions like HRA or medical insurance without having proper proof. If the tax department finds something suspicious, they may stop your refund and send you a notice for more details.MISMATCH IN ITR AND AIS DATAYour tax return must match the details in your Annual Information Statement (AIS) or Form 26AS. If there's a difference, your refund can get delayed until it's sorted.INCORRECT BANK DETAILSIf you make a mistake while entering your bank account number or IFSC code, your refund won't reach you. Also, your bank account must be pre-validated and linked correctly to the I-T portal.BANK ACCOUNT-PAN MISMATCHIf the name on your bank account does not match your PAN card, for example, if you have a joint account or a spelling difference, your refund can get held up.REFUND ISSUED BUT NOT CREDITEDSometimes, the refund is released but doesn't reach you because the account is inactive, the IFSC code has changed, or your KYC is incomplete. In these cases, you'll need to raise a refund reissue request on the I-T portal.TAX ADJUSTED AGAINST DUESIf you have unpaid tax from earlier years, the department may adjust it against your refund. They usually inform you about this by email or SMS. Sometimes, the full refund amount gets adjusted.RETURN UNDER SCRUTINYIf your return has been picked up for extra checking or assessment, your refund will be on hold until that process is done. This can take longer than usual.So, if your refund is delayed, check these points first and respond promptly to any notices from the tax department.- Ends
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