6 questions on Income tax returns that you must know the answers to

Our tax planning is centred around saving the maximum possible amount on the taxes that we pay. We consult CAs, read about tax saving, buy insurances and invest in the market to be eligible for tax rebates and exemptions. However, when it comes to the process of checking the status or claiming the refund, some of us are rather clueless.

We give you six questions about the Income tax refund process that you should know the answers to-

Checking Income tax refund status is very easy. Go to https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/home. Log in to your account and then check the income tax refund status in ‘My Account’ in ‘My returns/Forms’ section.

You might have filed your income tax but might still be waiting for the refund. Your income tax refund might be pending due to one of the following reasons-

Your income tax has still not been processed Income tax department has determined that there are no refunds on your income tax
Your IT returns have been processed, but the cheque or the ECS credit has not yet reached you. This might happen due to you having mentioned a wrong address or an account number. Verify that your address and bank account no is proper when filling the form.

If you have made a mistake in the account number or the address, your refund will not reach you until you correct it. You can make the corrections as follows-
In the ‘My Account’ section, go to ‘Refund Re-issue request’. Select the mode of payment. Enter the bank account details or the proper address and click on submit.

In case your contact details like address, email ID or mobile number has changed, you need to update the same on the Income tax portal.

Login to your account and go to the ‘Profile Settings’ option. In the drop-down menu, select ‘Update Contact details’. You can change your details here. The changes are automatically updated in the Income tax department’s database.

If your IT return status is displayed as ‘Refund Returned’, and you have not received it yet, you can apply for it again as follows-
Login to your account on the official site given above. Go to ‘My Account’ and click on ‘Refund Re-issue Request’. You now get the option of selecting the mode of payment- You can choose cheque or payment via ECS. Fill in the details and submit.
Further, you can raise your grievances with a dedicated officer of the grievance cell on the number or the Email ID listed on the website.
Applying for an IT refund is easy. However, you need to bear in mind that any correction to the submitted details takes time. Hence, you need to fill in the form carefully the first time.