ITR Refund 2026: Big news for taxpayers. If you submitted your Income Tax Return (ITR) by the July 31, 2026 deadline, the primary concern now is when your tax refund will be deposited into your account. Assuming your ITR was filed accurately and e-verified, the refund process should proceed smoothly. Nonetheless, certain mistakes could lead to a delay in receiving the refund.
The refund process is underway
The due date for submitting ITR-1 and ITR-2 for the assessment year 2026-27 (financial year 2025-26) was July 31, 2026. As per the Income Tax Department, over 59 million individuals completed their income tax returns by this deadline. Those who met the filing deadline are now anticipating their tax refunds. The Income Tax Department kicks off the refund process only after the taxpayer e-verifies their ITR.
Anticipated arrival of tax refund
As per chartered accountant Govind Kumar, if you filed and e-verified your ITR in the final week of July, you can typically expect to receive your refund within 2 to 6 weeks. This implies that most individuals will likely receive their refund between mid-August and mid-September. However, if there are any discrepancies in the return or if further verification is needed, the process may take longer.
Verifying errors
Based on the Income Tax Department’s website, it generally takes four to five weeks post e-verification for the refund to be credited to the account. If the refund does not materialize within this timeframe, taxpayers should monitor their email and e-filing portal for any notifications or inaccuracies.
Steps to verify ITR refund status
1. Log into the e-filing portal.
2. Navigate to the e-file section and select Income Tax Return.
3. Opt for the View Filed Return feature.
4. Choose the relevant assessment year and click on View Details.
5. Here, you can review the entire refund status.
Potential reasons for refund delays
– Bank account not pre-validated.
– Name on the bank account does not match the PAN.
– Incorrect IFSC code entry.
– Information about a closed bank account provided in the ITR.
– Refund may be unsuccessful if PAN and Aadhaar are not linked.