Income Tax Refund Status 2026: How to Check and What to Do if Stuck

Most salaried taxpayers who file ITR-1 before the due date expect their refund within a few weeks of e-verification. But the portal shows half a dozen different status messages, and each one calls for a different action. This guide walks you through every step - from logging in to fixing a failed refund - so you know exactly what to do in 2026.

For what to do when a refund is delayed, disputed, or requires escalation, see income tax refund delay - full escalation guide.

This is the primary method and shows the most complete status, including the ITR lifecycle.

1. Open eportal.incometax.gov.in and log in with your PAN and password.
2. If your PAN is not linked to Aadhaar, a pop-up will appear - click Link Now to complete the linking, or continue if already linked.
3. Click the e-File tab, then Income Tax Returns, then View Filed Returns.
4. You will see a list of all assessment years for which returns have been filed. Select the relevant assessment year (for income earned in FY 2024-25, the assessment year is AY 2025-26).
5. Click View Details to open the full status page, which shows the ITR lifecycle from filing to refund.

For a quick check without logging in - useful if your refund has been processed and sent to the refund banker - use the NSDL/Protean Tax Information Network portal.

1. Open tin.tin.nsdl.com/oltas/refund-status-pan.html in a browser.
2. Enter your PAN and select the assessment year, then click Proceed.
3. The portal shows whether SBI (the refund banker) has credited the refund and the date of credit.

This portal reflects status 10 days after the Assessing Officer sends the refund to the Refund Banker, so there is a brief lag. The e-filing portal is more current.

The e-filing portal uses several status phrases. Here is what each one means and what action, if any, you should take.

Your ITR has been filed and e-verified successfully. The Central Processing Centre (CPC) in Bengaluru is yet to process it. No action needed - processing typically begins within days of e-verification.

CPC is currently processing the return. No action needed. For ITR-1 (Sahaj), typical processing takes 7-20 days after e-verification; ITR-4 (Sugam) takes 15-30 days; ITR-2 and ITR-3 can take up to 60 days.

CPC has processed the return and dispatched the refund to SBI (the refund banker). The refund should reach your pre-validated bank account within a few working days. Check the NSDL/Protean portal to confirm the credit date.

Your refund was partially offset against an outstanding tax demand from a previous assessment year under section 245 of the Income Tax Act, 1961. You should have received an intimation before the adjustment - see the section below on section 245 for what to do.

The entire refund was used to settle a previous outstanding demand under section 245. If you disagree with the demand, you can raise it on the portal under Pending Actions > Response to Outstanding Demand.

SBI attempted to credit the refund but could not. Common reasons include: account not pre-validated on the e-filing portal, name mismatch between bank records and PAN, invalid or updated IFSC code, or a closed account. You must submit a refund reissue request - see the section below.

CPC has calculated that you owe additional tax instead of receiving a refund. Check your AIS (Annual Information Statement) and Form 26AS for any TDS/TCS not reflected in your original return, and verify your computation before paying or disputing.

If your status shows Refund failed, follow these steps:

1. Log into eportal.incometax.gov.in.
2. Click Services in the top menu, then select Refund Reissue.
3. Click Create Refund Reissue Request.
4. Select the assessment year for which the refund failed.
5. On the Select a Bank Account page, only pre-validated accounts will appear. If the correct account is not listed, pre-validate it first (see below).
6. Select the account and click Proceed to Verification.
7. Complete e-verification using Aadhaar OTP, net banking, or DSC.
8. A success message and Transaction ID will appear - note it down and check your registered email and mobile number for confirmation.

The refund typically takes four to five weeks to process after a reissue request is accepted.

Bank account pre-validation is mandatory to receive a refund; without it, refunds cannot be credited. The Income Tax Department moved to electronic-only refunds in 2019, so pre-validation has been a requirement for all returns filed since FY 2018-19.

1. Log into the e-filing portal and open My Profile.
2. Click My Bank Accounts.
3. If your account is not listed, click Add Bank Account and enter the account number, IFSC, and account type.
4. The portal will validate the details against NPCI records. A green tick labelled Validated confirms success.
5. Ensure the name in your bank account exactly matches the name on your PAN card.

Under section 245 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, the Income Tax Department can offset your current-year refund against any outstanding demand from previous assessment years. The department must send you an intimation before doing so and give you an opportunity to respond.

• You have 30 days from the date of the intimation to respond on the portal.
• To respond, log in and go to Pending Actions > Response to Outstanding Demand.
• You can select Demand is Correct (accept the offset) or Disagree with Demand (contest it with written reasons).
• If you do not respond within 30 days, the department may proceed with the adjustment automatically.
• If you disagree and your explanation is not accepted, you can pursue rectification under section 154 or file an appeal.

If the Income Tax Department delays your refund, you are entitled to interest under section 244A of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The rate is 0.5% per month (or part of a month), which works out to 6% per annum. Interest is computed from the date of payment of tax or filing of the return (whichever is later) to the date the refund is granted. No interest is payable if the refund amount is less than 10% of the tax as determined on assessment (under section 143(1) or regular assessment). Interest received under section 244A is taxable as income from other sources.

• PAN and Aadhaar linked to your registered mobile number.
• Acknowledgement number (ITR-V) for the return filed.
• Screenshot of the refund status page showing the assessment year and status message.
• Bank account details: account number, IFSC, account holder name exactly as in bank records.
• Any intimation received under section 245 (check your registered email and the portal inbox).
• Transaction ID from any refund reissue request.

• The Income Tax Department does not send SMS or WhatsApp links asking you to click to release a refund.
• Never share OTP, net banking credentials, or debit card details with anyone claiming to release your refund.
• Official communications come only to your registered email and mobile number on the e-filing portal.
• If you have an outstanding demand notice, verify it on the portal itself - do not act on phone calls or unofficial documents.

After e-verification, CPC typically processes ITR-1 and ITR-4 returns in 7-30 days. Once processed, SBI credits the refund to your pre-validated bank account within a few working days. Overall, most simple returns see credit within 4-5 weeks of e-verification, though complex returns can take longer.

Returns with mismatches in TDS, discrepancies in AIS, or defective return notices can take longer. Check your registered email and the e-filing portal for any notice or demand. If no notice has been raised, you can raise a grievance at eportal.incometax.gov.in under the Grievance section. For escalation steps after that, see income tax refund delay.

Linking is not the same as pre-validation. Your account must show a green Validated tick on the My Bank Accounts page. Also verify that the account holder name in the bank exactly matches the name on your PAN - even small spelling differences cause failure.

No. Section 245 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 requires the department to send you an intimation and give you 30 days to respond before making an adjustment. If the adjustment was made without prior intimation, you can raise a rectification request under section 154 on the e-filing portal.

Yes. Interest paid by the department under section 244A is taxable as income from other sources in the year of receipt. It will appear in your AIS and must be declared in your next ITR.

First check that your bank account is fully pre-validated and the name exactly matches your PAN. If the account details are correct but the request is still rejected, raise a grievance on the portal and, if unresolved, consider filing an RTI application to CPC Bengaluru asking for the reason for non-credit. See RTI for income tax refund delay 2026 for a ready-to-use template.

• Income tax refund delay - escalation and legal remedies
• Check status: income tax refund
• RTI for income tax refund delay 2026

If you need to understand your rights under the RTI Act or want a ready-made RTI application for any government department, The RTI Playbook has step-by-step templates and real case examples.