When Will You Get Your ITR Refund? What Data Tells Us

If you've filed your Income Tax Return and are waiting for your refund, you're probably wondering: how long will it take? Here's where ITR processing stands as of early June 2026 — what the official portal data shows, what it doesn't show right now, and what to do if your refund is still pending.

Where ITR Processing Stands Right Now

The financial calendar has turned. FY 2025-26 ended on 31 March 2026, and the filing season for AY 2026-27 (returns for FY 2025-26 income) opened on 1 April 2026. AY 2025-26 — last season's returns, filed during summer 2025 for FY 2024-25 income — is the AY most "where's my refund" readers are asking about. It is now in late-processing / backlog-clearance phase: timely returns have largely been processed, and what remains is flagged-for-review, refund-on-hold, or late-filed.

Derivation: at end of March 2026 the portal showed 8.74 crore e-verified against 8.59 crore processed, leaving roughly 15 lakh pending. CPC's monthly publication then reported 1,48,516 returns cleared in April 2026 (~1.49 lakh) — leaving roughly 13.5 lakh at end of April — followed by 1,90,717 in May 2026 (~1.91 lakh), bringing the implied figure to roughly 11.6 lakh still pending at end of May.

Important caveat: this is an upper bound on queue delay. Some portion of the 11.6 lakh is held for scrutiny, refund verification, or pending additional information from the filer — not pure queue position. And because the portal has not published updated daily AY 2025-26 figures since 1 April 2026, this figure is an inference from the last published numbers and CPC's monthly clearance reports, not a fresh daily reading.

The FY-End Push and the April-May Clearance

Three clearance events define the recent picture for AY 2025-26:

For context on what CPC can do when it pushes hard: the all-time one-day record remains 6.97 lakh returns on 14 February 2026. The Mar 31 push wasn't a record day, but it was an unusually large clean-out for an end-of-FY date.

What the Monthly Pace Suggests

With two months of post-31-March CPC publications in hand (April + May), we can speak to the clearance pace — directionally, not as a guarantee.

The pace ticked up from April to May: ~1.49 lakh in April, ~1.91 lakh in May. If May's rate holds and the ~11.6 lakh implied backlog at end of May is treated as a flat queue, it would take roughly 6-8 more months to clear — i.e. into Q4 of calendar 2026 or early 2027. That's a back-of-envelope projection, not a CPC commitment.

Two important caveats keep that estimate directional rather than precise:

• No daily AY 2025-26 figures. The portal stopped publishing the AY 2025-26 success-enablers series on 1 April 2026 when reporting transitioned to AY 2026-27. We only see CPC's monthly cumulative numbers, not the daily pace that lets us spot a slowdown early.
• No breakdown of what's stuck and why. Of the ~11.6 lakh implied still pending, some portion is genuinely in the processing queue, but some is held for scrutiny, refund verification, or awaiting filer action. The portal doesn't publish that split publicly, so the queue may clear faster than 6-8 months while the held-for-review cases linger.

The practical takeaway for an individual filer is in the next section — your timeline now depends less on aggregate backlog math and more on whether your return has a flag or notice attached to it.

What Affects Your Refund Timeline?

Several factors determine how quickly you'll receive your refund:

1. E-Verification Status

Your return must be e-verified before processing begins. If you haven't e-verified yet, your refund is essentially on hold. E-verify immediately using:

• Aadhaar OTP (fastest method)
• Net banking
• Bank account validation
• Demat account validation

2. Type of Return

Simple returns (ITR-1 with just salary income) typically get processed faster than complex returns (ITR-2, ITR-3 with capital gains, business income, etc.).

3. Processing Queue

Returns are generally processed in the order they were filed and verified. Filing early in the season usually means faster processing.

4. Discrepancies

If there's a mismatch between your filed return and Form 26AS/AIS data, processing may be delayed for verification.

Your Personal Timeline Expectations

Where you sit in early June 2026 depends on which filing season your return belongs to:

• AY 2025-26 return (FY 2024-25 income), e-verified on or before 31 March 2026: The bulk of timely returns from this season were cleared in the FY 2025-26 close-out — the ~2.95 lakh push on 31 March plus April (~1.49 lakh) and May (~1.91 lakh). If yours is still pending, the next step is to log into the e-Filing portal and check "View Filed Returns" for any notices under Section 143(1), 143(2), or 139(9). A pending notice blocks further processing. Also confirm your bank account is pre-validated for refund credit and that PAN-Aadhaar linkage is current.
• AY 2025-26 return, e-verified in April-May 2026 (late filers): You're in the residual AY 2025-26 backlog. CPC is clearing ~1.5-1.9 lakh returns per month; daily data isn't published, so a precise date isn't possible. The same checklist applies — look for any pending notices and confirm bank pre-validation.
• AY 2026-27 return (FY 2025-26 income, the current filing season): Filing for AY 2026-27 opened 1 April 2026 and the portal began publishing AY 2026-27 numbers on 25 May 2026. Volumes are still very small (~4.1 lakh e-verified) and most filers wait until June-July ahead of the 31 July due date. Processing speed for this season can't yet be characterised from public data.
• Not yet e-verified: E-verify immediately. Your timeline only starts after verification.

If your AY 2025-26 return has been showing "Under Processing" for more than nine months since verification and there's no pending notice, raise a grievance through the e-Nivaran tab on the e-Filing portal.

How to Check Your Refund Status

You can track your refund status through multiple channels:

1. e-Filing Portal: Login to incometax.gov.in → View Filed Returns → Check Status
2. NSDL Website: Visit tin.tin.nsdl.com and enter your PAN and assessment year
3. SMS: Your registered mobile number will receive an SMS when the refund is processed

What If Your Refund Is Delayed?

If it's been more than 60 days since e-verification and you haven't received your refund:

1. Check for notices: Login to the e-Filing portal and check if there are any outstanding notices or requests for information
2. Verify bank details: Ensure your bank account is pre-validated and linked to your PAN
3. Raise a grievance: Use the e-Nivaran portal on the IT website to raise a complaint
4. Contact CPC: Call the CPC helpline at 1800-103-0025 (toll-free)

Key Takeaways

• Implied AY 2025-26 pending backlog: ~11.6 lakh returns at end of May 2026 (derived from last published portal figures minus the official April + May CPC clearance; upper bound, not a fresh daily reading)
• Recent clearance: ~2.95 lakh refunds in the 31 March 2026 FY-end push (about 10× normal daily rate), then 1,48,516 in April 2026 (~1.49 lakh) and 1,90,717 in May 2026 (~1.91 lakh) — cumulative ~3.39 lakh in April + May
• Daily AY 2025-26 processing data is not published after 1 April 2026; the portal has transitioned to AY 2026-27 reporting
• If your AY 2025-26 return is still pending: check the e-Filing portal for any 143(1), 143(2), or 139(9) notices — a pending notice blocks further processing
• E-verify immediately if you haven't already — your timeline only starts after verification
• Keep your bank account pre-validated and PAN-Aadhaar linkage current to avoid post-processing refund credit delays