Quick Answer
If your income tax refund failed, first pre-validate a working bank account (My Profile → My Bank Accounts), then raise a Refund Reissue Request at incometax.gov.in → Services → Refund Reissue → Create Refund Reissue Request → select the validated account → e-verify with Aadhaar OTP or EVC. The reissued refund is typically credited within 2–4 weeks, and interest under Section 244A continues until the refund is granted.
Raise at Services → Refund Reissue
Pre-condition Validated bank a/c
Credit time 2–4 weeks
244A interest 0.5%/month
Diagnose first
Why Income Tax Refunds Fail — and the Fix
Almost every failed refund traces back to the bank account record, not to CPC processing. Find the exact reason at e-File → Income Tax Returns → View Filed Returns → View Details, then fix it before raising the reissue — otherwise it fails again for the same reason.
| Failure Reason | What Went Wrong | Fix Before Reissue |
|---|---|---|
| Account not pre-validated | Account in the ITR was never validated on the portal | My Bank Accounts → Add / Revalidate; wait for Validated |
| Account closed / dormant | Account closed or frozen after filing, so the credit bounced | Add and validate a different active account; select it in the reissue |
| IFSC changed (bank merger) | Old IFSC deactivated after PSU bank mergers; ITR carried the old code | Re-add the account with the new IFSC and validate it |
| Name mismatch | Name in bank records does not match the PAN name | Update KYC / name at the bank (or PAN), then revalidate |
| PAN not linked to account | Bank has not seeded your PAN against the account | Submit PAN to the bank, then revalidate on the portal |
| Not nominated for refund | Account is validated but "Nominate for Refund" was off | My Bank Accounts → enable "Nominate for Refund" |
Cross-check the bank-side dispatch on the NSDL / Protean refund tracking page (tin.tin.nsdl.com) with PAN + assessment year.
Fix the bank account first — every time
The Refund Reissue screen only lists accounts showing "Validated". Raising a reissue before the account is validated and nominated for refund simply fails again for the identical reason and wastes days. Validate, nominate, then reissue.
Do this first
Pre-validate Your Bank Account
Only a validated and refund-nominated account can receive the reissued refund. Add or revalidate it under My Profile → My Bank Accounts before touching the reissue screen.
Open My Bank AccountsMy Profile → My Bank Accounts
→
Add / RevalidateEnter a/c number + current IFSC
→
Wait for ValidatedA few hours to 1–2 days
→
Nominate for RefundToggle on the validated a/c
- Account is active and not dormant or closed
- Current (post-merger) IFSC used
- PAN seeded with the bank branch
- Bank name matches your PAN name
- Status shows "Validated" on the portal
- "Nominate for Refund" is enabled
Bank validation stuck or name mismatch on PAN? Let a CA sort it out.
Get Refund Help →Step by step
How to Raise a Refund Reissue Request
Once the account shows Validated and Nominated, the reissue itself takes a few minutes on incometax.gov.in.
Services → Refund ReissueOpen from the top menu
→
Create RequestPick the return where refund failed
→
Select Validated a/cAny validated PAN-linked account
→
E-verify & submitAadhaar OTP or EVC
- The chosen account need not be the one in your ITR — any validated account linked to your PAN works.
- Note the request reference number for tracking and grievances.
- An unverified request is not processed — always complete e-verification.
- Track it under Services → Refund Reissue (Submitted → Processed) and on the NSDL / Protean page.
"Processed" but no credit yet?
After the status turns Processed, the money travels from CPC to the refund banker (SBI) to your bank over a few working days. If it is untraceable after 2–3 weeks, raise an e-Nivaran grievance (CPC-ITR → Refund related) quoting the reissue reference, and confirm with your bank whether a credit was returned.
Reissue keeps failing despite a validated account?
Talk to a Tax Expert →Section 244A
Does Interest Continue on a Failed Refund?
Yes. Interest under Section 244A accrues at 0.5% per month (or part of a month) until the refund is granted, so a failed-and-reissued refund generally arrives with interest computed up to the reissue.
- Where the delay is attributable to the taxpayer (an unvalidated or wrong bank account you took months to fix), the department can exclude that period from interest — so fix and reissue promptly.
- The 244A interest you receive is itself taxable as income in the year of receipt.
- If a Section 245 adjustment against an old demand is the real reason, respond under Pending Actions → Response to Outstanding Demand instead of raising another reissue.
Don't file a revised return just to change bank details
A wrong or bounced bank account does not need a revised ITR. The Refund Reissue route is the correct and faster fix — a revised return only resets processing and delays your money.
Government sourcese-Filing portal (Refund Reissue, My Bank Accounts): incometax.gov.in · Refund tracking: tin.tin.nsdl.com (NSDL / Protean) · Grievances: e-Nivaran on incometax.gov.in → CPC-ITR → Refund related · Interest on refunds: Section 244A, Income-tax Act
People also ask
Frequently Asked Questions
Getting started
My income tax refund failed — what should I do first?
First find out why it failed. Log in to incometax.gov.in → e-File → Income Tax Returns → View Filed Returns → View Details — the refund failure reason is shown there (account closed, invalid IFSC, account not pre-validated, name mismatch, etc.). Fix the underlying issue by pre-validating a working bank account under My Profile → My Bank Accounts, then raise a Refund Reissue Request under Services → Refund Reissue. Without fixing the bank account first, the reissue will fail again for the same reason.
Where do I raise a refund reissue request on the portal?
Log in to incometax.gov.in and go to Services → Refund Reissue → Create Refund Reissue Request. The portal lists returns where a refund failed; select the relevant record (Tax Year and acknowledgment number), choose a pre-validated bank account, and e-verify the request with Aadhaar OTP or EVC. Any earlier reissue requests and their statuses are visible on the same screen.
Is there a fee to raise a refund reissue request?
No. Raising a Refund Reissue Request on the income tax e-filing portal is completely free. You only need a validated, refund-nominated bank account linked to your PAN and a way to e-verify (Aadhaar OTP, net banking EVC, or bank account EVC). Beware of anyone charging a "reissue fee" outside the official portal.
Timing & tracking
How long does it take to get the refund after a reissue request?
There is no statutory deadline, but in practice most reissued refunds are credited within about 2–4 weeks of submitting the request, provided the selected bank account is validated and refund-nominated. Track the status under Services → Refund Reissue (it changes from Submitted to Processed) and on the NSDL / Protean refund tracking page. If nothing moves for over a month, raise a grievance through e-Nivaran on the portal.
Refund reissue request shows "Processed" but money has not arrived — what now?
Allow a few working days after the status turns Processed — the credit travels from CPC to the refund banker (SBI) to your bank. Check the NSDL / Protean refund status page (tin.tin.nsdl.com) with your PAN and assessment year for the bank-level dispatch date. Confirm with your bank whether a credit was returned and ask for the return reason code. If the amount is still untraceable after 2–3 weeks, raise a grievance under e-Nivaran selecting CPC-ITR → Refund related, quoting the reissue request reference.
How do I track the status of my refund reissue?
Two places. On incometax.gov.in, open Services → Refund Reissue to see the request status (Submitted, Under Process, Processed). For the bank-side dispatch, use the NSDL / Protean refund tracking page (tin.tin.nsdl.com) with your PAN and assessment year, which shows the mode of payment and the date the refund banker dispatched it.
Bank account
Why does the portal not show my bank account in the refund reissue request?
The Refund Reissue screen only lists bank accounts that are pre-validated on the portal. If your account is missing, go to My Profile → My Bank Accounts → Add Bank Account, enter the account number and IFSC, and submit for validation — the status usually updates within a few hours to 1–2 days. The account must be active, linked to your PAN, and the name at the bank should match your PAN name. Once it shows "Validated" (and "Nominate for Refund" is on), it appears in the reissue dropdown.
My bank merged and the IFSC changed — is that why my refund failed?
Very likely, yes. After bank mergers (such as the 2019–2020 PSU bank mergers), old IFSC codes were deactivated. If your ITR carried the old IFSC, the refund credit bounces. Remedy: add the account again on the portal with the new IFSC, pre-validate it, and raise a Refund Reissue Request selecting the re-validated account. You do not need to file a revised return just to correct bank details — the reissue route handles it.
Can I get the reissued refund in a different bank account than the one in my ITR?
Yes. The reissue request lets you select any bank account that is pre-validated against your PAN on the portal — it does not have to be the account you originally mentioned in the ITR. Add and validate the new account first, then choose it while creating the Refund Reissue Request and e-verify with Aadhaar OTP or EVC.
What is "Nominate for Refund" and do I need it?
Yes, you need it. On the My Bank Accounts screen each validated account has a "Nominate for Refund" toggle. Only a validated account with this toggle enabled is used by CPC to credit your refund. A common cause of repeated failures is a validated account where the nominate-for-refund flag was never switched on.
Interest & 244A
Do I lose interest under Section 244A if my refund fails and is reissued?
No, not automatically. Interest under Section 244A at 0.5% per month (or part of a month) is computed up to the date the refund is granted. A failure on the department's side does not stop your entitlement. However, where the delay is attributable to the taxpayer (an unvalidated or wrong bank account), the department can exclude that period from interest. Fix your bank account quickly — the sooner the reissue succeeds, the cleaner the interest computation. Note that 244A interest received is itself taxable in the year of receipt.
Is the interest I receive on a delayed refund taxable?
Yes. Interest granted under Section 244A on an income tax refund is taxable as "Income from Other Sources" in the year you receive it, and should be reported in that year's ITR. The refund principal itself is not taxable — only the interest component is.
Repeated failures
How many times can I raise a refund reissue request?
The portal allows a fresh reissue request if the earlier one also fails — there is no published hard limit. But repeated failures almost always mean the root cause is unfixed: account not validated, dormant or closed account, name mismatch with PAN, or PAN not linked to the account at the bank. Resolve the cause (update KYC at the bank, link PAN to the account, re-validate on the portal) before submitting again. If it keeps failing, raise an e-Nivaran grievance to CPC with screenshots.
The reissue keeps failing even with a validated account — what am I missing?
Check three things beyond validation: (1) the "Nominate for Refund" toggle is on for that account; (2) your PAN is actually seeded against the account at the bank, not just entered on the portal; and (3) the bank-record name matches your PAN name exactly (initials vs full name, or surname changes after marriage often break this). If all three are correct and it still fails, escalate through e-Nivaran (CPC-ITR → Refund related) quoting the request reference.
Escalation
How do I escalate if the refund reissue stays pending for weeks?
Raise a grievance on incometax.gov.in under Grievances → Submit Grievance (e-Nivaran), select CPC-ITR → Refund related, and quote the reissue request reference with screenshots. You can also call the CPC helpline (numbers under Contact Us) with your PAN and acknowledgment number. Separately confirm with your bank whether a credit arrived and was returned, and ask for the return reason code.
My refund was adjusted against an old demand instead of being paid — is that a reissue issue?
No — that is a Section 245 adjustment, not a bank failure, so a reissue request will not help. When CPC sets off your refund against an outstanding demand, respond under Pending Actions → Response to Outstanding Demand, either agreeing or disagreeing (with reasons) to the demand. If the demand is wrong or already paid, submitting the correct response is what releases the balance refund.
Do I need to file a revised return to change my bank account for the refund?
No. Changing bank details does not require a revised ITR. Add and validate the correct account under My Profile → My Bank Accounts, nominate it for refund, and raise a Refund Reissue Request selecting it. Filing a revised return only to change bank details is unnecessary and simply resets processing, delaying your refund.
If you would rather not do it yourself
Related TaxClue services
ITR FilingCA-filed returns with correct bank details so refunds land first time.See the service →Refund Status CheckTrace where your refund is stuck and why, across CPC and the bank.See the service →ITR e-VerificationVerify your return so processing and refund actually start.See the service →PAN–Aadhaar LinkKeep PAN active — an inoperative PAN blocks refunds entirely.See the service →
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