ITR filing for FY 2024-25: The ITR filing process is in full swing, with nearly 25 lakh income tax returns already filed and about 23 lakh verified. The most important development is that the Income Tax Department has started processing returns, as reflected on the tax portal, which shows that some ITRs have already been processed for the current assessment year. This means taxpayers with refunds due will start receiving them soon.

This year, the return filing started relatively late. The main reasons for this were the late release of ITR forms, technical changes in the e-filing utility, and time taken to update tax deduction (TDS) data.

This time, the Income Tax Department had notified forms including ITR-1 and ITR-4 in April-end, with almost 20-25 days of delay. But the online filing utility could not be activated on the portal till the end of May. Due to this, a large number of taxpayers were delayed in filing ITR. Also, the last date for banks and employers to file TDS returns was 31 May 2025, only after which important documents like AIS (Annual Information Statement) and 26AS could be updated. Therefore, experts advised that ITR should be filed only after June 15, 2025, so that the data remains error-free and there is no delay in the refund process.

Giving relief to crores of taxpayers in the non-audit category, the Income Tax Department last month extended the deadline to file income tax returns by 45 days to September 15, 2025. Earlier, the last date to file ITR was July 31, 2025.

How to check ITR and refund status?

Now, that the Income Tax Department has started processing the income tax returns and issuing refunds, taxpayers who have filed their ITRs must be waiting for the government to credit tax refund in their bank accounts as soon as possible. So this story will guide you on how to check the status of tax refund.

1. How to check ITR status:

Go to incometax.gov.in

Click on the link ‘Income Tax Return (ITR) Status’

Enter your ACK number and mobile number

Your status will be visible after OTP verification – if successfully filed, it will say “Filed”

Or:

Log in to the portal

Check the status by going to the “View Filed Returns” section

2. How to check refund status:

Click on the “Know Your Refund Status” link on the home page of the portal

Enter PAN, Assessment Year and mobile number

After submitting OTP, the refund status will be visible

Or:

Refund status can also be checked by visiting the NSDL website and entering PAN and assessment year

Refund information can be obtained by logging in to the TRACES portal

The department also sends updates from time to time through SMS and email

Will there be a delay in getting the refund?

Based on the experiences of the last few years, it has been observed that if the return is completely correct and there is no inquiry, the refund usually comes in 7 to 21 days. However, in cases where tax deduction (TDS) has been made between January to March 2025 and which has been reported recently, it may take till the end of June for the refund to come.

If you have not filed yet, hurry up

The last date for filing ITR for general taxpayers (whose accounts are not audited) is 31 July 2025. If you have not filed ITR yet, then complete it in time, otherwise you may have to face problems like late fees, interest and penalty.

Summing up…

This time the process of ITR filing started a little late, but now it has gained momentum. The Income Tax Department has already processed more than 1 lakh returns and it is expected that by July a large number of returns will be processed and refunds will be completed. If you have filed ITR, then definitely check its status using the methods mentioned above. And if you have not filed it yet, then do not delay.