How to check your income tax refund status in 2026

ITR filed. E-verified. Still waiting. Here's where to check, what the status labels mean, and what to do when one of them is bad news.

Two portals show refund status: the income tax e-filing portal at incometax.gov.in, and the NSDL/Protean TIN portal. Both pull from the same data. The e-filing portal shows more context; the NSDL portal is faster if you'd rather not log in.

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Method 1: Income tax e-filing portal (recommended)

You need your PAN-based login. This method shows the full ITR lifecycle — not just the refund status but whether your return was processed, whether a notice was issued, and what the intimation u/s 143(1) says.

1. Go to incometax.gov.in and log in with your User ID (PAN) and password.
2. If a pop-up warns that your PAN is inoperative, link it with Aadhaar before doing anything else. Refunds are not processed on an inoperative PAN.
3. Go to e-File > Income Tax Returns > View Filed Returns.
4. A list of all filed returns appears, grouped by assessment year. Click View Details next to the relevant year. For FY 2024-25 income, that is AY 2025-26.
5. The refund status appears under the return details, along with the ITR processing lifecycle.

The portal layout changes periodically. If you cannot find "View Filed Returns" under e-File, look for a "Services" or "Returns" section with a similar refund or processing status option.

Without logging in: From the homepage, select the pre-login option Income Tax Return (ITR) Status, enter your ITR acknowledgement number and registered mobile number, then complete the OTP verification.

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Method 2: NSDL/Protean TIN portal (no login needed)

The Protean (formerly NSDL) portal at tin.tin.proteantech.in/oltas/refund-status-pan.html is the quicker option if you only want the refund status and not the full ITR picture.

1. Enter your PAN.
2. Select the assessment year from the dropdown (e.g., 2025-26 for FY 2024-25 income).
3. Enter the CAPTCHA code.
4. Click Proceed.

The result appears immediately. One caveat: this portal only shows data 10 days after the Assessing Officer has sent the refund to the Refund Banker (State Bank of India). If your return is still under processing at CPC, the NSDL portal will show nothing yet. That is normal.

The older URL tin.tin.nsdl.com/oltas/refund-status-pan.html also works and redirects to the same system.

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What each refund status means

Status	What it means	What to do
Under Processing	CPC is still computing your tax liability. No refund determination yet.	Wait. ITR-1 typically takes up to 20 days; ITR-3 can take 30-60 days.
Return Processing Pending	Return is filed but not yet in the processing queue.	Confirm e-verification is complete. If not, verify now via Aadhaar OTP or net banking.
Refund Determined — yet to be shared with Refund Banker	CPC has approved the refund and calculated the amount. Not yet dispatched to SBI.	No action needed. It will move to the next stage.
Refund Issued	Refund has been sent to State Bank of India for credit to your bank account.	Check your pre-validated bank account. Allow 3-5 working days for NECS/RTGS credit.
Refund Paid / Refund Credited	Amount has been credited to your bank account.	Verify the credit. If it has not arrived within 5 working days, contact the SBI CMP branch or the helpline.
Refund Failed	Credit could not be processed. Common causes: bank account not pre-validated, account closed, wrong IFSC code, or name mismatch between your bank account and PAN.	Log in, go to Services > Refund Reissue, update your bank details, and submit a reissue request (see steps below).
Adjusted against demand u/s 245	You had an outstanding tax demand from a prior year. The department set off your refund (or part of it) against that demand. A Section 245 notice should have been sent to you first.	Check the outstanding demand under the e-proceedings section. If you disagree, respond to the notice through the portal. If you missed the notice, file a rectification or contact your jurisdictional AO.
No demand, no refund	CPC processed your return and found no tax owed either way.	No action needed. Download the intimation u/s 143(1) from View Filed Returns for your records.
Demand Determined	Processing found you owe additional tax. No refund.	Review the intimation u/s 143(1). Pay the demand if correct, or file a rectification request if there is a computation error.
Contact Jurisdictional Assessing Officer	The case has gone beyond CPC processing.	Contact your jurisdictional AO with your PAN, acknowledgement number, and return details.

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Why is my refund delayed?

As of February 2026, over 24.64 lakh returns for AY 2025-26 remained unprocessed for more than 90 days, out of 8.80 crore total filings. Several things drive that backlog.

Return not e-verified. Processing does not begin without e-verification. You had 30 days from filing to verify via Aadhaar OTP, net banking, or by posting a signed ITR-V to CPC Bengaluru. Miss that window and your return is treated as not filed. You can still verify late, but the refund timeline resets.

Bank account not pre-validated. Since FY 2023-24, pre-validation of bank accounts is mandatory for refund credit. If yours is not pre-validated and linked to your PAN on the portal, the refund will fail the moment SBI tries to credit it. Go to My Profile > Bank Account > Validate and fix this before the refund reaches SBI.

Form 26AS or AIS mismatch. If the TDS figures in your return differ from what Form 26AS or your Annual Information Statement shows, CPC puts the return on a verification hold. Check both documents under e-File > Income Tax Returns > View Form 26AS, compare against your declared figures, and submit feedback on any mismatches in the AIS portal.

Outstanding demand from a prior year. Any unpaid demand from AY 2023-24 or earlier will be adjusted against the AY 2025-26 refund under Section 245. Check the e-proceedings section on the portal for any pending demands.

PAN not linked with Aadhaar. An inoperative PAN blocks both processing and refund credit. Verify PAN-Aadhaar linkage status on the portal.

NUDGE campaign scrutiny. In December 2025, CBDT launched an automated compliance review that flagged over 1.11 crore returns for potential under-reporting. If your return was flagged, it may be in manual review. Check the e-proceedings section for any pending notices.

High refund amount. Claims above roughly ₹50,000 are more likely to go through manual review before dispatch.

Late filing. Returns filed in the final days before the deadline compete with millions of others for CPC processing slots.

The department has until 31 December 2026 to process all returns for AY 2025-26. For unresolved delays beyond 90 days, email helpdesk@cpc.incometax.gov.in with your PAN and acknowledgement number.

For the full filing calendar, see the income tax calendar for AY 2026-27. If you have not filed yet, see the ITR filing deadline guide.

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How to raise a refund reissue request

If your status shows "Refund Failed," the money is not gone. It waits while you provide a valid bank account.

Pre-validate your bank account before submitting the request. Go to My Profile > Bank Account on the portal, add the account, and wait for it to show as "Validated." The reissue request cannot go through without this.

1. Log in to incometax.gov.in.
2. Go to Services > Refund Reissue.
3. Click Create Refund Reissue Request.
4. Select the assessment year for which the refund failed, then click Continue.
5. Select the pre-validated bank account where you want the refund credited.
6. Click Proceed to Verification and complete e-verification via Aadhaar OTP, net banking, or EVC.
7. Submit. You will get a transaction ID and a confirmation on your registered mobile and email.

Two things that cause reissue requests to fail: the selected bank account is still not pre-validated, or the name on the account does not exactly match the name on your PAN. If your bank has merged (e.g., Vijaya Bank into Bank of Baroda), update the IFSC code. Old codes from defunct banks will reject the credit.

For TDS credits that appear in 26AS but are not reflecting in your refund amount, see the TDS rate chart for FY 2025-26.

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Refund interest under section 244A

Section 244A of the Income Tax Act entitles you to interest when the department delays your refund. The rate is 0.5% per month (or part of a month), which is 6% per year, calculated as simple interest.

When does the clock start? It depends on what generated the refund:

• Refund from TDS or advance tax: interest runs from 1 April of the assessment year (1 April 2025 for AY 2025-26) until the refund is paid.
• Refund from self-assessment tax: interest runs from the date you filed the return.
• If the delay was your fault — say, you gave wrong bank details and needed a reissue — the period attributable to you is excluded from the calculation.

Section 244A interest applies only if the refund amount is at least 10% of the total tax determined. Smaller refunds relative to total tax liability get no interest.

The refund principal is not taxable (it is your own money returned). The interest, however, is taxable as income from other sources and must be reported in the ITR for the year you receive it. You do not need to request it separately; the department adds it automatically.

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How to download your ITR acknowledgement (ITR-V)

The ITR-V is the one-page PDF confirming your return was received. You need it for offline verification (posting to CPC Bengaluru) or to show proof of filing to a bank or visa officer.

1. Log in to incometax.gov.in.
2. Go to e-File > Income Tax Returns > View Filed Returns.
3. Select the assessment year and click View Details.
4. Download the ITR-V / Acknowledgement from the options on that page. You can also download the full ITR PDF and any intimation orders from the same place.

The ITR-V PDF is password-protected. The password is your PAN in lowercase followed by your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format (for example, abcde1234f01011990).

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Frequently asked questions

How long does an income tax refund take after the ITR is processed?

After CPC determines the refund, it typically takes 4-5 weeks to be credited to your bank account. For AY 2025-26, processing has stretched to several months for a significant portion of returns, partly because of the NUDGE compliance campaign. The department has until 31 December 2026 to process all returns for this assessment year.

Can I check my TDS refund status without logging in?

Yes. The NSDL/Protean portal at tin.tin.proteantech.in lets you check by entering your PAN and assessment year with no login. Alternatively, use the pre-login ITR status option on incometax.gov.in with your acknowledgement number and registered mobile.

Why does the NSDL portal show no record of my refund?

The NSDL portal only reflects status after CPC has sent the refund to the Refund Banker (SBI). If your return is still at CPC, NSDL will show nothing. Log in to the e-filing portal for a more complete view.

What does "adjusted against demand u/s 245" mean, and can I contest it?

It means a prior-year outstanding demand was set off against your current refund. The department must send a Section 245 notice before making this adjustment, and you have the right to respond. If you think the demand is wrong, dispute it through the e-proceedings section. If the dispute is accepted, the balance refund is released.

My refund was issued but not credited to my bank account. What now?

Check that your bank account is pre-validated on the portal and that the IFSC code is current, especially if your bank has merged recently. If the details are correct but the money has not arrived within 5 working days of the "Refund Issued" date, contact the SBI CMP branch (the Refund Banker) or call the income tax helpline at 1800-103-0025. You can also raise a grievance through the e-Nivaran or Grievance section on the portal.

What is the income tax refund helpline number?

The CPC helpline is 1800-103-0025 and 1800-419-0025 (both toll-free). For email, write to helpdesk@cpc.incometax.gov.in with your PAN, assessment year, and acknowledgement number.

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This article is for informational purposes. Portal navigation and status labels may change — if the exact menu path described above has shifted, look for equivalent options in the e-File or Services menus. For tax situations involving large demands or disputed assessments, consult a CA or tax practitioner.