Tax refund in hours? How tech is changing the game
Filing your taxes just got a lot less stressful—many people are now seeing their income tax refunds land in their bank accounts just hours after submitting returns online for 2025-26.
One filer, Arun Prakash from Noida, got his refund only four hours after hitting submit.
Compare that to the old days when waiting over three months was normal.
What's behind the speed?
It's all about smarter tech: the system is fully automated, refunds start right after e-verification, and new digital formats make things smoother.
Pre-validated bank accounts and instant PAN-Aadhaar linking also help speed things up.
On average, refund times have dropped from 93 days a decade ago to just 10 days in FY 2023-24.
More speed means more checks
Speed comes with more scrutiny—tax officials now cross-check your return with other financial records to catch mistakes or fraud.
If your info doesn't match or you owe taxes, expect delays or no refund at all.
Double-check your details and finish e-verification to keep things moving quickly.
```