Income Tax Refund FY 2024-25: Expected Timeline, Reasons For Delay And What We Know So Far
Many taxpayers are still waiting for their income tax refunds for FY 2024-25 (AY 2025-26).
Concerns over delayed income tax refunds have dominated online searches in India over the past week, with Google Trends showing a rise in queries related to refund timelines and processing. The spike in I-T refund-related searches was seen after recent comments by Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman Ravi Agrawal, who said that the department is currently examining several high-value and flagged refund claims, resulting in slower-than-usual turnaround times.
Why Refund-Related Searches Are Trending
Search terms such as “income Tax Refund” and “ITR refund delays” have become top-searched topics in the last few days, as per Google Trends. The rising volume of queries reflects the impact of the processing backlog, with millions waiting for refunds and seeking clarity on expected timelines.
Reasons Behind ITR Refund Delay
Agrawal said that though smaller refunds are being cleared promptly, large or high-value refund claims are being verified closely, and some returns are flagged for doubtful deductions, which need manual review. Officials have also found cases of wrong or inflated deductions, so those filings are being checked one by one. Some taxpayers have been asked to file revised returns to correct mistakes before refunds can be issued. Agrawal assured taxpayers that all legitimate refunds would be released by December 2025.
Millions Of Returns Await Processing
As per reports, figures on the Income Tax Department’s portal reveal that out of 81.8 million returns filed and 78.7 million verified, only 69.5 million have been processed so far. This leaves more than 9.2 million returns pending for processing.
Department Ramps Up Appeal Disposal
The CBDT Chairman noted that past factors, including disruptions during the pandemic, had contributed to a large backlog of tax appeals. This year, reportedly, appellate bodies have accelerated their work, clearing around 40% more appeals compared to the previous year, a sign that the department is steadily reducing pending issues.
How To Check Income Tax Refund Status Online
Taxpayers can monitor the status of their income tax refunds through the income tax portal.
Steps To Check Status On Income Tax Portal
Visit the Income Tax e-Filing portal (https://www.incometax.gov.in/iec/foportal/) and log in with your PAN or Aadhaar and password.
Go to e-File and select Income Tax Returns.
Click on View Filed Returns.
Choose AY 2025-26.
Select View Details to see your return and refund status.
Similarly, taxpayers can check the refund status via the official website of NSDL by using their PAN.
Taxpayers who missed the Sept. 16, 2025, deadline still have the option to file a belated ITRs by Dec. 31, 2025.
