How to Check Your Income Tax Refund Status in 2021?

Income Tax Refund Status

The income tax return for the F.Y 2019-20 has already been filed for many, however for some taxpayers the process of return filling has not finished yet. This article contains detailed know how on the ways to track your Income Tax refund status online and the terms related thereon.

What does Income Tax Refund mean?

Income tax refund is the excess of tax paid by a taxpayer as compared to the actual tax liability. In other words, it is the difference between the tax paid and the actual tax owed. The Income Tax department is bound to return any excess tax paid by the taxpayer. A tax refund situation could arise when:

• Advance tax is paid
• Self-calculated tax
• Tax deducted at source

After filing an ITR and clearly mentioning all the details regarding the income sources, the total tax liability due or refund is shown. Also, an intimation is sent on your registered mobile number or the email-ID, informing you about the refund by The Income Tax Department.

What are the reasons of not getting your Income Tax Refund?

There is a possibility that even after claiming a refund you didn’t receive it. In case of refund failure due to some reason, you can apply for refund re-issue request. There could be many reasons for this, like:

• After the assessment by the department they might come up with a conclusion that there is no refund payable to you. If the intimation issued u/s143(1)  intimated to you shows NIL refund then it means that your refund request has not been accepted by the department.
• Another reason could be that the department has processed your refund but the bank details shared by you were incorrect.
• There may be a situation, where income tax department processed your refund but there is a delay at the part of the bank.
• One another reason could be that your refund of particular year may be adjusted against demand raised of any other previous year.
• One possible reason could be that you have not E-verified or sent your ITR to Bangalore. Know how to e-verify your ITR.

How can I know that my refund claim has been accepted by the Income Tax Department?

If the refund is accepted by the department then it will provide the taxpayer with a refund reference number.

How to Check my Income Tax Refund Status Online?

There are 2 simple ways to check income tax refund online:

• Using TIN-NSDL website
• Using Income Tax Efiling website

1. Without login
2. With login

Checking Income Tax Refund Online Using TIN-NSDL Website

Just follow these simple steps & you’ll be able to check income tax refund online within a matter of minutes.

1. Visit website https://tin.tin.nsdl.com/oltas/refundstatuslogin.html.
2. Provide the required details such as your PAN, assessment year (for FY 2019-20, AY is 2020-21).
3. Enter the Captcha Code as provided in the image and click on Submit button.
4. Your income tax refund status will be shown on the screen.

Important Note: The status of your income tax refund will be updated after a period of 10 days from the date Income Tax Department sends refund to the bank. The banker for ITD is SBI.

Checking Income Tax Refund Online Using Income Tax E-filing Website

1. Without Login

Follow these simple steps to check income refund status online.

• Visit https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/home.
• At the bottom-left, you will find option “ITR Status”, select it.
• On the directed page, type-in your PAN, ITR Acknowledgement Number & Captcha Code.
• Click on Submit button.
• If your refund has been released by the department then status will be “Return Processed. Refund determined and sent to the banker” (Status Type 1)  otherwise it will be “Return Submitted and verified” (Status Type 2).

2. With Login

Follow these simple steps to check income refund status online.

• Visit https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/home.
• Login to your account by entering User ID & Password.
• On the dashboard, click on “View Returns/ Forms” & select option “Income Tax Return”.
• Now, click on the Acknowledgement Number.
• The next screen will be shown every information related to your ITR. Here at the bottom, the status of your income tax refund will also be visible.

By now you must have understood the process of tracking your income tax refund status online. But even after several attempts the same status is displayed and refund has not been credited. This could be because of an interest which is payable to the taxpayer.

An insight of the provisions of Interest on your Income Tax Refund:

As per Section 244A of the Income Tax Act, you become eligible for interest on refund at the rate of 0.5% per month or part of the month when the refund amount is 10% or more of the tax amount determined u/s 143(1). But the period of interest credited will differ in these 2 cases, which are explained as follows: