Tax Refund: Income tax refunds are now being received faster than ever, in some cases in just hours. But, there can still be a delay in tax refunds due to some reasons. Know in how many days on average the refund is received and what are the reasons for the delay.
Tax Refund: The Income Tax Return (ITR) processing time for Assessment Year 2025-26 has decreased at a record pace. Earlier, where taxpayers had to wait for months for a refund, now the refund is being received in a few days. Many taxpayers are getting refunds in just a few hours.
Historic improvement in refund processing
The Income Tax Department has reduced the average time for ITR processing and refund issuance to 17 days in 2025-26. It was 93 days in 2013. The government says that this was possible due to technology and system improvements.
Processed in 10 days, refund in a few hours
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had told Parliament that the average processing time has come down to 10 days in 2023-24. Some taxpayers have received refunds in 4 hours, which had never happened before.
Taxpayers’ experiences on Twitter
On July 17, a taxpayer MK Nathan wrote on X (earlier Twitter) that he got the refund in 24 hours. His ITR was processed in 10 hours and the money came into the account in 12 hours.
CBDT expressed happiness
Responding to these experiences, the Income Tax Department said that they are happy with such responses. The department says that they take taxpayers’ feedback seriously for continuous improvement.
ITR-1 is getting priority
ITR-1 is processed first because it has less details. After this comes the turn of ITR-2 and ITR-3. Therefore, if your filing is simple, then there is a high possibility of getting a refund quickly.
The system is now more vigilant and secure
The refund process has become faster as well as more vigilant. Tax evasion and fake deductions are being caught by matching AIS and Form 26AS, which is causing delays in some cases.
There may be a delay if the claim is wrong
The refund of taxpayers who have claimed wrong deductions or their information is incomplete may get stuck. The department is now also scrutinizing old returns, which may take a little longer to process.
Make sure all the information is updated
Taxpayers are advised to pre-validate their bank account, confirm PAN-Aadhaar linking and correct any mistake in filing immediately. Interest is also paid on refund in case of delay.
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