ITR Refunds Slow for Many Taxpayers in India as Pre-Validation Checks Stall Payouts

Overview

• Refunds typically reach eligible filers within four to five weeks after successful e‑verification, but many cases are taking longer this season.
• Common hold-ups include unvalidated or inactive bank accounts, name mismatches with PAN, invalid or outdated IFSC codes, and PAN not linked to Aadhaar.
• The Centralised Processing Centre may extend timelines when returns show discrepancies in income, deductions or TDS, with larger or more complex cases facing extra scrutiny.
• Status can be checked on the income tax e‑filing portal, and if processed by CPC, the TIN‑NSDL page shows whether a refund was sent, returned, failed or awaits reissue.
• If a payout is delayed, taxpayers are advised to complete e‑verification, review departmental notices, correct bank details, and submit reissue requests where required.