After filing the return, it is important for taxpayers to know when they will get the refund. Here you will learn in detail about the processing of income tax refunds, ways to check status, and possible delays in the refund process.

Filed an Income Tax Return (ITR) in April and now when will I get the refund? Do you have the same question in your mind? Every year millions of people hope that their refund comes to their account as soon as possible. But do you know how long it takes for the refund to come after filing the return? When does the processing of the refund start? And how can you check the status of your refund? Let us first know about income tax refund along with these questions.

Income tax refund means the amount which is refunded by the Income Tax Department. If you have paid any tax and it is more than your actual tax liabilities (such as TDS, TCS, advance tax, or self-assessment tax), then you can also get it back by filing ITR.

When does the processing of tax refund start?

Refund processing starts when taxpayers e-verify their returns after filing ITR. According to the Income Tax website, normally it takes 4-5 weeks for the tax refund to be credited to your account.

If the refund is not received within this time period, then you should check for any discrepancy in your ITR. For this, you can also check any email notification related to the Income Tax Department, which may be about the refund.

How to check the status of income tax refund?

You can find out about income tax refund through e-filing portal, email sent by Income Tax Department, Income Tax Refund Portal and Income Tax Helpline.

1. Through e-filing portal:

First of all, go to the e-filing portal of Income Tax Department (www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in).

Log in by entering your user ID, password and captcha.

After logging in, click on the 'My Account' tab and then go to 'Refund/Demand Status'.

Here you will see the status of your refund. You can also see at what stage the refund process is and by when the refund will be credited to your account.

2. Through email and SMS sent by Income Tax Department:

The Income Tax Department sends information about your refund status through email and SMS. If the refund has been processed, you can get information about it. Even if there is any problem or error regarding the refund, the department gives information on email.

3. Income Tax Refund Portal:

The Income Tax Department has also created a separate portal to check 'Refund Status'. You can check the refund status by visiting https://tin.tin.nsdl.com/oltas/refundstatuslogin.html.

4. Contact the Income Tax Department's helpline:

If you are facing any problem in knowing the status of the refund, then you can also call the Income Tax Department's helpline. You can get information about the refund by calling the department's helpline number.