If your income tax refund has not been credited yet, the latest data suggests you are not alone.
For Assessment Year 2025–26, around 8.80 crore Income Tax Returns (ITRs) were filed, according to figures shared in Parliament. Out of these, about 24 lakh returns are still pending for more than 90 days.
That means more than 97% of returns have been processed, but lakhs of taxpayers are still waiting for their refunds.
Here is what could be happening.
RETURN STILL UNDER PROCESSING
Refunds are issued only after a return is processed under Section 143(1) of the Income Tax Act. If your status on the income tax e-filing portal shows “Under Processing,” the department has not completed the assessment yet.
Until that step is done, no refund can be credited.
Some returns take longer due to data checks, mismatches in income details, or verification of deductions and tax credits.
ISSUE WITH BANK DETAILS
Even if your status shows “Processed with refund due,” the money may not reach your account if there is a problem with bank details. Refunds are credited only to a pre-validated bank account linked with permanent account number (PAN).
If the account is not validated, inactive, or has incorrect details, the transfer may fail. In such cases, you need to update the bank information and submit a refund reissue request.
RETURN NOT E-VERIFIED
Filing the ITR is not enough. It must also be e-verified within the prescribed time. If it was not verified, the return is treated as invalid and no refund is issued.
Refunds can also be adjusted against any pending tax demand from previous years, which will be reflected in your online account.
With over 24 lakh returns still pending beyond 90 days, delays this year are largely procedural. The first step is to log into the portal and carefully check your return status, bank validation, and verification details.
In most cases, the answer lies there.
