Several taxpayers have recently reported on social media that they received emails or SMS messages from the Income Tax Department. These messages claim their Income Tax Refund are on hold due to “mismatches” in their tax return filings.
Screenshots shared online show that the messages inform taxpayers their return processing paused after flagged under the department’s risk management process.
Income Tax Refund on hold, Department sent messages to taxpayers
The typical message states, “Processing of the said return held as it identified under the risk management process on account of certain discrepancies in the claim of refund. An email with details sent to your registered email address.”
In one screenshot posted on X (formerly Twitter), the message from the Income Tax Department indicates that the return is on hold because of issues identified under the risk management framework related to the refund claim. Some taxpayers reported asked to file a revised return for the relevant assessment year by the December 31 deadline.
Taxpayers demand for clarification from department
This Income Tax Refund hold situation has left many taxpayers confused, leading them to seek clarification from the tax department online. Numerous users have pointed out inconsistencies between the alerts received via SMS or email and the status shown on the income tax portal. Several posts on X feature taxpayers sharing screenshots and recounting similar experiences.
Chartered accountant Pratik Bharda explained the possible reasons behind these messages on X. He mentioned that the department sends these alerts to thousands of taxpayers in December, particularly in specific cases. “Thousands of taxpayers are getting this in December—especially when refund amounts are high or when 80C, 80D, or HRA claims do not exactly match the details in Form 16,” he noted.
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