ITR Refund Status 2026: How to Check, Delays and Fixes

To check your ITR refund status in 2026, log in to the income tax e-filing portal (incometax.gov.in), go to e-File, then Income Tax Returns, then View Filed Returns, and click View Details for Assessment Year 2026-27. The refund status, amount and any failure reason appear in the return’s life cycle. This guide covers that method step by step, what each status means, why the Protean (NSDL) refund page will not show this year’s refund, the most common reasons refunds are delayed, and exactly how to raise a refund reissue request if your refund failed.

Updated October 2026. Steps and menu names below are taken from the Income Tax Department’s e-filing user manuals, checked on 22 October 2026. Portal labels sometimes change; if a button looks different, look for the nearest equivalent.

Quick answer: ways to check your refund

Method	What you need	Best for	Shows
e-filing portal: e-File > Income Tax Returns > View Filed Returns	User ID (PAN), password, PAN linked with Aadhaar	AY 2026-27 and recent years	Return life cycle, processing status, refund status and failure reason
e-filing portal: Services > Refund Reissue (view requests)	Login	Tracking a reissue request you raised	Status of each reissue request
Intimation under Section 143(1)	Your registered email, or download from the portal	Seeing how the refund was calculated	Refund amount, any adjustments
Form 26AS / AIS	Login	Confirming a refund was paid	Refund paid details
Protean (NSDL) refund tracking page	PAN, assessment year, captcha	Older years only (list ended at AY 2022-23 when checked)	Refund Banker status, mode of payment

How to check ITR refund status on the e-filing portal

This is the method described in the department’s Refund Status user manual.

Before you start

• A registered account on the e-filing portal with a valid user ID (your PAN) and password
• PAN linked with Aadhaar
• An income tax return already filed and e-verified, in which you claimed a refund

Steps

1. Go to the e-filing portal at incometax.gov.in and click Login. Enter your user ID and password.
2. If your PAN is not linked with Aadhaar, a pop-up tells you the PAN has become inoperative. Choose Link Now to start linking, or Continue to proceed for now. An inoperative PAN is itself a reason refunds fail, so do not ignore this message.
3. From the dashboard, go to e-File > Income Tax Returns > View Filed Returns.
4. Select the assessment year. For income earned from April 2025 to March 2026, that is AY 2026-27.
5. Click View Details. You will see the life cycle of the return, such as filed, verified, processed, and the refund status.

What each refund status means

Status	What it means	What to do
Refund issued	The department has sent the refund to your bank account	Check your bank statement. Allow a few working days for credit.
Refund partially adjusted	Part of your refund was set off against an outstanding tax demand, and the rest was paid	Check the demand under Pending Actions and respond if you disagree with it.
Full refund adjusted	The whole refund was set off against an outstanding demand	Same as above. Check the year and amount of the demand.
Refund failed	The payment could not be credited, for example because of bank account problems	Fix the cause, then raise a Refund Reissue request (steps below).
Return processed, no refund shown	The return was processed but the refund was reduced to zero, or is still being issued	Read your 143(1) intimation to see how the department computed your tax.

Can you still check refund status on Protean (NSDL)?

Many older guides tell you to check refunds on the NSDL site, now run by Protean. The Protean refund tracking page asks for your PAN, assessment year and a captcha, and shows the status of refunds sent through the State Bank of India “Refund Banker” scheme, starting about 10 days after the refund is sent to the Refund Banker.

However, when we checked on 22 October 2026, the assessment year drop-down on that page went only up to AY 2022-23. So it will not show the status of a refund for AY 2026-27. For this year’s refund, use the e-filing portal. The Protean page is still useful if you are chasing an older refund.

How long does an income tax refund take?

The e-filing portal’s user manual says a refund usually reaches your account within 4 to 5 weeks of the return being e-verified. If it has not arrived by then, it advises checking your ITR for any intimation about discrepancies and checking your email for notices from the department.

The legal outer limit is longer. Under Section 143(1) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, a return can be processed within nine months from the end of the financial year in which it was filed. For an AY 2026-27 return filed between April 2026 and March 2027, that means processing can legally happen up to 31 December 2027. So a delay of a few months is frustrating, but not by itself a sign that something is wrong.

Interest on a delayed refund

If your refund is delayed, you may be entitled to interest under Section 244A. For refunds of TDS, TCS or advance tax, simple interest is generally paid at 0.5 percent for every month or part of a month, from 1 April of the assessment year if you filed by the due date, or from the date of filing if you filed late. No interest is paid if the refund is less than 10 percent of the tax determined. The interest is itself taxable income in the year you receive it. These conditions are technical, so ask your CA if the interest looks wrong.

Why is my ITR refund delayed? Common reasons

1. Return not e-verified. This is still the most common reason. Check that the status shows “Successfully e-Verified”. If you filed but did not verify within the allowed time, the return may be treated as not filed.
2. Return not yet processed. The Centralized Processing Centre (CPC) processes returns in batches. Returns with no mismatches tend to be processed faster.
3. Mismatch with Form 26AS or AIS. If the TDS or income you reported does not match what deductors reported, CPC may adjust your refund or send you a notice proposing an adjustment. Respond within the time given.
4. Outstanding demand from an earlier year. The department can adjust your refund against an old demand after giving you intimation. Check Pending Actions > Response to Outstanding Demand.
5. Defective return notice. If you received a notice under Section 139(9), the refund will wait until you respond.
6. Bank account problems. If your bank account is not pre-validated or has an error, processing may finish but the refund fails.
7. Inoperative PAN. A PAN not linked to Aadhaar is treated as inoperative and refunds are not issued to it.

Why refunds fail and how to fix each cause

The refund status manual lists the main failure reasons. Here they are with the fix for each.

Failure reason	How to fix it
PAN inoperative (not linked to Aadhaar)	Link PAN with Aadhaar on the portal (a fee applies for late linking). Once the PAN is operative again, raise a refund reissue request if needed.
Bank account not pre-validated	Go to My Profile > My Bank Account, add or re-validate the account, and wait for the status to show validated.
Name in bank account does not match PAN	Ask your bank to update the name to match your PAN, or use a different account whose name matches, then re-validate.
Invalid IFSC	Check the IFSC on your cheque book or bank website (branches sometimes change IFSC after bank mergers) and update the account details.
Bank account closed	Add and validate an active account in your name, then raise a refund reissue request.

How to raise a refund reissue request

If your status says the refund failed, you can ask the department to send it again. These steps are from the official Refund Reissue user manual.

Before you start

• A registered e-filing account
• A filed income tax return where the refund has failed
• At least one validated bank account on the portal
• A way to e-verify: Aadhaar-registered mobile for OTP, EVC through your bank or demat account, or a registered DSC

Steps

1. Log in to the e-filing portal.
2. Go to Services and click Refund Reissue.
3. Click +Create Refund Reissue Request.
4. Select the record (assessment year) for which you want the refund reissued and click Continue.
5. Choose the bank account. Only validated accounts are shown. To use another account, click Add Bank Account and validate it first.
6. Complete e-verification with Aadhaar OTP, EVC or DSC.
7. Note the Transaction ID shown on screen. You will also get a confirmation on your registered email and mobile.

You can track the request from the same Refund Reissue page. If the portal says bank validation “cannot be done” for your account, the manual says you can add another account that can be verified, or submit an ECS mandate form while raising the request.

If a tax professional (ERI) raises the request for you, you must verify it yourself within 7 days of the Transaction ID being generated, or it lapses.

Still no refund? How to escalate

• Read every email and portal notice first. Many “missing” refunds are waiting on a response from you.
• Raise a grievance on the e-filing portal under the Grievances menu, choosing the refund-related category, and keep the reference number.
• Call the helpdesk. The refund status manual lists 1800 103 0025 and 1800 419 0025, and +91-80-46122000 and +91-80-61464700, for e-filing and processing queries including refunds, from 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Friday. Keep your PAN, assessment year and acknowledgement number ready.
• Do not trust refund calls or SMS links. The department does not ask for your bank PIN, OTP or card details to release a refund. Use only the official portal.

Waiting on other tax deadlines too? Our guide to income tax due dates for October to December 2026 lists what is due next.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I check my ITR refund status without logging in?

For AY 2026-27, the reliable way is to log in to the e-filing portal. The Protean refund tracking page works without login but, when checked in October 2026, it only listed assessment years up to 2022-23, so it will not show this year’s refund.

Why does my status say “processed” but I have not received the refund?

Check View Details for the refund status. It may show refund issued (allow a few days), adjusted against a demand, or failed. Also read the 143(1) intimation emailed to you, which shows how the department computed your refund.

Can I change my bank account for an income tax refund?

Yes. Add and validate the new account under My Profile, then nominate it for refund. If the refund has already failed, select the new validated account while raising the refund reissue request.

Will I get interest if my refund is late?

Generally yes, under Section 244A, at 0.5 percent per month or part of a month, subject to conditions such as the refund being at least 10 percent of the tax determined. The interest is shown in your intimation and is taxable.

Is there a deadline to raise a refund reissue request?

The user manual does not set a specific deadline for individuals raising their own request. It is still best to raise it soon after the failure, as soon as your bank account is validated.

My refund was adjusted against an old demand I do not owe. What now?

Respond to the outstanding demand on the portal (Pending Actions > Response to Outstanding Demand), say whether you agree or disagree, and attach evidence. If the demand is wrong, you can also file a rectification request or grievance. A CA can help with this.

What to do today

Log in, open View Filed Returns for AY 2026-27, and read the life cycle carefully. If the return is not e-verified, verify it now. If the refund failed, validate your bank account and raise a reissue request. If it is simply still processing, check that your PAN is operative and your bank account is validated, then wait. Tax rules and portal steps change, so rely on the official e-filing portal and speak to a CA for anything unusual.