ITR Refunds To Be Paid Soon; Check Step-By-Step Guide On How To Check Income Tax Refund Status

Income tax refund is the refund amount that is initiated by the income tax department if the amount paid in taxes exceeds the actual amount due (either by way of TDS or TCS or Advance Tax or Self-Assessment Tax). Taxpayers who have still not received their income tax refunds for financial years 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20 can expect the ITR refund by January 31, 2024.

A recent order by the Income Tax department addressed glitches and other issues that have delayed income tax return (ITR) processing for these years. The department has now assured that tax refunds will be issued immediately if the calculation in the ITR matches their assessment.

Refund processing by the tax department starts only after the return is e-verified by the taxpayer. Usually, it takes 4-5 weeks for the refund to be credited to the account of the taxpayer. According to the income tax website, if a refund is not received during this duration, the taxpayer must check for intimation regarding discrepancies in ITR; check email for any notification from the IT department regarding the refund.

The taxpayer can also check the refund status online on the e-filing portal. The documents you will need to check your ITR refund status in the online process include a valid User ID and Password, PAN linked with Aadhaar number, and ITR filed claiming refund.

Step-by-Step Guide On How To Check Income Tax Refund Status:

Step 1: Visit the e-filing portal homepage.
Step 2: Enter the user ID and password.
For individual users, if your PAN is not linked with the Aadhaar, you will see a pop-up message that your PAN is made inoperative as it is not linked with your Aadhaar.
Step 3: Go to e-File tab > Income Tax Returns > View Filed Returns.
Step 4: Now you can check the refund status for the desired Assessment year.
Click on View Details and here you can see the status of your ITR refund.

The available options that will be visible to you include - refund is issued, refund is partially adjusted, full refund adjusted, and refund is failed. By clicking on the appropriate option, you can follow the prescribed steps and know your ITR refund status.

Note: If your PAN is inoperative, your refund will fail and you will see a warning message to link your PAN with the Aadhaar.