How to track your income tax refund
If more tax was deducted than you owed, the difference is yours. Here is how to find out where it is.
Refunds arise more often than people expect, usually because tax was deducted at a flat rate through the year without accounting for the deductions you were entitled to.
When a refund is due
- Excess TDS. Your employer deducted tax without full knowledge of your deductions or other income.
- Excess advance tax. You estimated your liability high and paid more than the final figure.
- Double taxation. Income taxed abroad that is also taxable in India may be eligible for relief under a tax treaty.
- Deductions claimed at filing that were not reflected in what was deducted through the year.
Before anything else, two checks
A refund will not move if either of these is wrong, and both are common causes of delay.
- Your return is verified. An unverified return is not processed at all.
- Your bank account is pre-validated in the portal and the name matches your PAN. Refunds are paid only into a validated account.
Most refund delays are not the department being slow. They are an unvalidated bank account or an unverified return.
How to check the status
| STATUS | WHAT IT MEANS |
|---|---|
| Return submitted and verified | Filed correctly, awaiting processing |
| Processed with refund due | Approved. Payment is on its way |
| Refund issued | Sent to your bank. Check the account named |
| Refund failed | Usually a bank account problem. Revalidate and request reissue |
| Processed with demand due | The department disagrees with your computation. Read the notice |
| No demand no refund | Your figures matched and nothing is owed either way |
Log in to the income tax e-filing portal and open the Filed returns section for the relevant assessment year. The status will show one of a few things:
Worth knowing
If a refund fails, you do not lose it. Correct the bank details in the portal and raise a refund reissue request for the same assessment year.
See where you stand
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