Filing ITR Early in 2025? Your Refund May Stall

ITR filing for FY2024-25 is open, but key tax documents like AIS and Form 26AS are still being updated. Filing too early can cause data mismatches, trigger notices, and delay your refund by weeks or even months.

Here's what happened: The Income Tax Department has released ITR utilities for FY2024-25, but AIS, TIS, and Form 26AS data is still being populated by banks, employers, and other deductors.. If you file before your AIS is fully updated, the income or TDS figures in your return may not match what the tax department's system shows — triggering a mismatch notice.. A mismatch can force you to file a revised return, delay your refund processing, or in some cases, result in a defective return notice under Section 139(9)..

What you should do: Log into the Income Tax portal (incometax.gov.in), go to AIS/TIS under the 'Annual Information Statement' tab, and verify all entries — especially TDS from salary, bank interest, and dividends — before you start filling your ITR.. Cross-check Form 26AS with your actual Form 16 from your employer; if TDS credits are missing or mismatched, wait until June-end when most employers complete TDS deposits and corrections.. If you have already filed and spot a mismatch, file a revised return before the December 31, 2025 deadline — but act quickly since refunds only process after your return is fully reconciled..

Pro tip: Interest earned on savings accounts and FDs is often added to AIS in batches well into June-July. File after July 1 if you have multiple bank accounts or FDs — your AIS will be far more complete by then.