Taxpayers frustrated over delayed income tax refunds this assessment year

Business Jan 12, 2026

Waiting on your income tax refund? You're not alone—many people are seeing big delays this year, even after filing and verifying everything on time.
With returns stuck at the "processing" stage and no clear update on when refunds will arrive, frustration is growing—especially for those who count on that money for regular expenses.

Why the holdup?

The slowdown is mostly due to stricter checks by the Income Tax Department.
They're now double-checking returns against financial disclosures like Form 26AS, and sending out more automated alerts if something doesn't match up.
While these steps are meant to reduce mistakes and future disputes, they've made the whole process slower than usual.