Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday, February 1, stated that the average time for getting income tax refund has witnessed a decrease from 93 days in 2013-14 to 10 days in the current financial year. This achievement reflects a shift in the digital landscape, Sitharaman said while making Budget 2024 announcements.
"In the last five years, our focus has been to improve taxpayer services. The age-old jurisdiction-based assessment system was transformed with the introduction of faceless assessment and appeal, thereby imparting greater efficiency, transparency, and accountability. Introduction of updated income tax returns, a new Form 26AS and prefilling of tax returns have made filing of tax returns simpler and easier. Average processing time of returns has been
reduced from 93 days in the year 2013-14 to a mere 10 days this year, thereby making refunds faster," Sitharaman stated during her Budget speech.
To check the status of their income tax returns, taxpayers can follow steps outlined on the official
income tax website.
This includes logging in, selecting 'e-file,' choosing 'Income tax returns,' and then clicking on 'View filed returns' to check the latest ITR filed.
Additionally, taxpayers can visit
tin.tin.nsdl.com and enter their permanent account number (PAN) to check the income tax status.
For those facing refund delays, experts recommend checking email communication from the Income Tax Department for any requests and responding promptly.
In case of an expired refund status, taxpayers should raise a refund re-issue request to facilitate a smoother process.
First Published: Feb 1, 2024 4:48 PM IST
