Is there a delay in income tax refund? Are you also making these 6 mistakes?

News India Live, Digital Desk: The new year 2026 has started and with this many people are expecting their tax refund. Although the government has speeded up the refund process, still lakhs of refunds get stuck just because we miss some minor things while filling the form. If you want your money to come straight into your account without any hassle, check these 6 things now:

1. No pre-validation of bank account
This is the most common mistake. The tax department sends your refund to the account which you have ‘pre-validated’ on the income tax portal. If you have recently changed banks or your old account has been closed, the refund will fail. Double check your IFSC code and account number.

2. Forgetting E-verification
You filed your return, but did you ‘verify’ it? Remember, unless you e-verify your ITR, it is not considered ‘submitted’. After filing you have a limited time to verify it. If it is pending, it is useless to even think about refund.

3. PAN and Aadhaar not linked
This rule has become even more stringent in the year 2026. If your PAN card is not linked to your Aadhar card, the department will not process your return. If the process is stuck, then check once whether both the documents are updated with each other or not.

4. Selection of wrong ITR form
The Income Tax Department provides different forms (ITR-1, ITR-2 etc.) for different sources of income. If you are employed and you fill the business form by mistake, your refund will be stopped and you may also get a ‘defective return’ notice from the department.

5. Data Mismatch
The refund you are claiming is your 26AS And AIS (Annual Information Statement) data should match. If your TDS deducting company has filled in different information and you have filled in different information, then the refund will not come until this information matches.

6. Claiming incorrect or doubtful tax deductions
If, in order to save too much tax, you claim exemptions for which you do not have solid evidence, the system ‘red flags’ it. In such cases the refund is withheld and the money is released only after additional verification.