How to Check Your Income Tax Refund Status

By the MyTaxLocker Team · Updated 11 June 2026

If the tax deducted from you (TDS) plus any advance tax exceeded your actual liability, you're owed a refund. Here's how to track it — and why it sometimes takes a while.

Where to check

• The income-tax e-filing portal — after logging in, your filed returns show a refund status against each assessment year.
• The refund-tracking service (Protean/NSDL-TIN) — look up the status with your PAN and the assessment year.

A refund is issued only after your return is processed, which happens only after you've e-verified it.

What the statuses mean

• Refund paid — credited to your bank account (check the account).
• Processed/determined — your return is assessed, and the refund is on the way.
• Refund failed/returned — usually a bank-account problem; re-validate your account and request a reissue.
• Under processing — still being assessed; give it time.

Why refunds get delayed

• The return wasn't e-verified (the clock doesn't start until it is).
• Your bank account isn't pre-validated, or the name doesn't match PAN.
• A mismatch between your return and Form 26AS / AIS triggered a review.
• The return was filed late, so processing started later.