ITR Refund Time: How Long It Takes and Why It Gets Delayed

ITR refund time depends on one step you control, e-verification, and on bank, data and department checks that you do not. Processing begins only after you verify the return.
 

• Official guide: 4 to 5 weeks from e-verification to credit
• Other estimates: 15 to 90 days, with 35 days as one average for 2026
• Statutory limit: 9 months from the end of the financial year, for the intimation under Section 143(1)
• Interest: 0.5% for each month or part of a month, from 1 April of the assessment year
• Common blockers: a bank account that is not pre-validated, a mismatch with the Annual Information Statement, and an old demand

Pre-validate your bank account and e-verify within 30 days of filing. If the refund is 60 days late, check the status and raise a grievance.

The official ITR refund time is 4 to 5 weeks after e-verification, according to the e-filing portal's Refund Status manual. Third-party guides give shorter and longer ranges, from 15 days to 90 days.

One 2026 data guide puts the average at 35 days, against 24 to 25 days in earlier years. Peak months such as August and September run slower. The clock starts when you e-verify, not when you file, so verify the return the same day you submit it.

A refund passes through 4 stages, and the status on the portal shows which one you are in.
 

The statutory limit for the intimation is 9 months from the end of the financial year in which you filed. Most returns are processed far sooner, so the ITR refund time is far shorter than the legal limit.

Six causes explain nearly every delay, and each has a fix.
 

If it has been more than 60 days since e-verification, check the status first. Then raise a grievance with the acknowledgement number.

The department pays simple interest of 0.5% for every month or part of a month, from 1 April of the assessment year to the date it grants the refund. This holds when you filed on time.

Formula used: Interest = refund × 0.5% × months or part months.

No interest is paid if the refund is below 10% of the tax determined, or if the delay is yours. The interest is taxable income. One guide places the rule in Section 360 of the Income Tax Act, 2025.

Four steps cover it.
 

1. Log in and open the e-filing portal's refund status, or check the acknowledgement number before login.
2. Read the status: processed, refund issued, refund failed or demand adjusted.
3. If the status shows failed, validate the bank account, then use Services and Refund Reissue.

4. Wait for the reissued credit, and raise a grievance if it does not arrive.

   
   

The guide to downloading the ITR acknowledgement helps you find the acknowledgement number.

Consider Arjun Menon, a 33-year-old engineer in Bengaluru with a household income of Rs. 1.6 lakh a month and a CIBIL Score of 761, who filed on 20 July 2026 and e-verified the same day.
 

Arjun's bank account was pre-validated, so the credit took 44 days. He declares the Rs. 1,200 of interest as income in the next return.

Bajaj Finance reviews returns and the tax paid. A pending refund does not reduce your eligibility, but an unverified return can delay assessment. Keep your acknowledgement and the intimation for each year.
 

Approval timelines can extend where a return is unverified or an intimation is missing, and minimum income thresholds can differ by city. Check your home loan eligibility.