ITR Refund 2025: Waiting For Your TDS Refund? Check Average ITR Processing Time

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New Delhi: Good news for taxpayers! If you're waiting for your TDS refund for the Assessment Year 2025–26, you might not have to wait long. As per a report by The Financial Express, the Income Tax Department has simplified the refund process and made it faster and more efficient. Once you file and e-verify your income tax return correctly, you can expect the refund to be credited to your account within just 7 to 20 days.

The faster refund process only works if key details are in place—like linking your PAN with Aadhaar, pre-validating your bank account and filing your return correctly. Most salaried individuals file their returns after getting Form 16, which is usually issued by employers by June 15.

Understanding Your TDS Refund Status

You can track your TDS refund in real time through the Income Tax Department’s e-filing portal. Here’s what some of the common status messages mean:

‘No e-filing has been done this year’ – It looks like your return hasn’t been filed or e-verified yet. Try verifying your ITR again.

‘Refund determined and sent out to refund banker’ – Your return has been processed and the refund is on its way to your bank.

‘Refund unpaid’ – There might be an error in your bank account details or IFSC code, causing the refund to fail.

‘Refund paid’ – Your refund has been successfully credited to your account.

‘Not determined’ – Your return is still being processed by the department.

‘Sent for Refund’ – Your return was filed over a month ago and the refund is now in the final processing stage.

You can view your refund status by logging into the Income Tax e-Filing portal. Just go to the ‘Income Tax Returns’ section, click on ‘View Filed Returns,’ and then select ‘View Details’ to see the full timeline of your refund process, according to FE.

Delays & Common Mistakes to Watch Out For

Your TDS refund could get delayed due to a few common issues:

PAN not linked to Aadhaar – If this is the case, you'll see a prompt after logging in with a link to complete the process.

Bank account not pre-validated or has incorrect details – Especially errors in the IFSC code can cause problems.

Mismatch between ITR and Form 26AS or AIS – Inconsistencies in your tax data can lead to delays.

Filing Deadline Remains the Same (For Now)

While many salaried taxpayers are still waiting for the updated filing utilities for AY 2025–26, the Income Tax Department hasn’t announced any extension to the deadline. Taxpayers are encouraged to file their returns early to avoid last-minute rush and possible system slowdowns.//