Chartered Accountant · ICAI M.No. 153926 · FRN 136869W
How it works
File the return, e-verify it, and the refund (with interest, if applicable) is processed to your pre-validated bank account.
Why refunds get stuck
The bank account isn’t pre-validated, the name doesn’t match PAN, there’s a mismatch with Form 26AS/AIS, or the return wasn’t e-verified. Fixing these usually releases the refund.
Speeding it up, and reading the interest
Refunds now move quickly when the basics are right, often within a few weeks of e-verification. Three things decide the speed. First, the bank account must be pre-validated on the portal and linked to your PAN, with the name matching — a failed validation is the commonest cause of a stuck refund. Second, the return must be e-verified (through Aadhaar OTP, net-banking or the other modes) within the allowed days of filing; an unverified return isn’t processed at all. Third, the figures should reconcile with Form 26AS and the AIS — if the TDS you claim doesn’t match what’s reported, processing pauses. On a valid refund the department also pays interest under Section 244A, though that interest is itself taxable. If a refund is adjusted against an old demand under Section 245, you get an intimation first and can respond if the demand is wrong. Checking the refund status on the portal, and fixing a name or validation mismatch promptly, is usually all it takes to release one that’s delayed. Filing and e-verifying early in the season is the simplest way to get the quickest credit.