How to Check Your Income Tax Refund Status on the Income Tax India e-Filing Website

If you have paid more taxes than your actual liability, you can request a refund for the excess amount. The Income Tax Department offers an online facility for tracking your Income Tax Refund status. You can easily check the progress of your refund by entering your PAN (Permanent Account Number) and the applicable Assessment Year. In this article, we will guide you through the process of checking your refund status on the Income Tax India e-filing website.

What is an Income Tax Refund?

Before we dive into the details of checking your refund status, let's understand what an income tax refund is. If you have paid more taxes than you were required to pay, you can claim the additional amount as an income tax refund. The formula for calculating the income tax refund is as follows:

Income Tax Refund = Taxes paid - Total tax liability on the current year income.

The taxes paid can be through various means like Advance Tax, TDS (Tax Deducted at Source), TCS (Tax Collected at Source), or Self-Assessment Tax. If the taxes paid are more than the actual tax amount due, then the excess tax paid can be claimed as a refund. However, the income tax department will recompute the taxes and validate the refund claim before initiating the refund.

How to Claim an Income Tax Refund?

To claim your income tax refund, you need to file your Income Tax Return and declare your income, deductions, and tax paid details to the Income Tax Department. The amount of refund receivable is computed and shown in the tax return. To get your income tax refund or TDS refund, you need to finish e-filing your tax return. Make sure to e-file your return to get your tax refund faster.

If you need an expert's assistance in preparing your income tax return, you can get our CA Assisted plan to help you with this. Our CAs will resolve all your issues and help you e-file.

Can I Still Claim My Refund if I Missed the ITR Filing Due Date?

The deadline to file your ITR for non-audit cases was 31st July 2023. However, if you could not manage to file your taxes before the deadline, you can still file a late return, known as a Belated Return. The last date to file a belated return is 31st December 2023. You can claim your tax refund through a belated return.

How to Check Your ITR Refund Status for FY 2023-24?

To check your ITR refund status, you can use either of the following methods:

1. TIN NSDL website
2. Income tax e-filing portal

Refund Status Check on TIN NSDL Portal

To check your refund status on the TIN NSDL portal, follow these steps:

1. Go to the online refund checking facility on the TIN NSDL website.
2. Scroll down and enter your PAN, AY (Assessment Year), captcha, and then click on 'Submit'.

Refund Status Check on Income Tax e-Filing Portal

To check your refund status on the Income Tax e-filing portal, follow these steps:

1. Visit the income tax portal and log in to your account.
2. Click on 'e-File', choose 'Income Tax Returns', and then select 'View Filed Returns'.
3. You can see the status of your current and past income tax returns.
4. Click on 'View details' to see the status of your income tax refund.

How Long Will It Take to Get the Refund?

The time taken to receive the income tax refund entirely depends on the Income Tax Department's internal process. Generally, it takes around 7 to 120 days, with an average time of 90 days, after you have e-verified your return. The Income Tax Department has implemented a new refund processing system to enable faster refund processing with an expected turnaround time of a few days instead of a few months. In recent years, the average ITR processing duration has been significantly reduced.

For returns submitted in the AY 2023-24, the average processing duration is 10 days, as opposed to 82 days for returns submitted in the AY 2019-20 and 16 days for returns submitted in AY 2022-23.

How Will I Receive the Refund?

The Income Tax Department will send the refund amount through electronic mode, either by direct credit to your bank account or through a 'Refund Cheque'. To ensure a smooth refund process, make sure to enter the correct bank account number and IFSC code with complete address details, including the PIN code, at the time of filing your return. Refunds sent through cheques are dispatched to the address mentioned in the ITR through speed post.

How is the Interest on Income Tax Refund Calculated?

When the refund amount is more than 10% of the total tax payable for that particular year, you will receive simple interest on the tax refund. The interest is computed at 0.5% per month on the refund amount. The interest is calculated from the beginning of the next financial year till the refund date.

Is the Income Tax Refund Taxable?

No, the refund amount itself is not taxable. However, the interest received on the tax refund is taxable. The rate of tax on the interest would be as per your applicable tax slab rate.

Is There an Income Tax Refund Helpline?

Yes, for any queries regarding income tax refunds, you can contact the 'Aaykar Sampark Kendra' at the toll-free helpline number - 1800-180-1961. You can also send an email with your refund query to refunds@incometax.gov.in. For refund-related queries or modifications in the refund record processed at CPC Bangalore, you can contact - 1800-425-2229 or 080-43456700. If you have any payment-related queries, you can contact the SBI Contact Centre toll-free number at-1800-425-9760.