Many taxpayers continue experiencing ITR refund delays months after the September 16 filing deadline. Although the Income Tax Department processed most refunds, thousands remain pending. Moreover, several factors contribute to these delays, ranging from bank account issues to data mismatches.

Common Reasons Behind Delays

Understanding why refunds get stuck helps taxpayers resolve issues faster. Here are the main causes:

Processing Timeline

Normally, the Income Tax Department credits refunds within 4-5 weeks after e-verification. However, this year stricter screening processes have extended waiting times. Furthermore, the Centralized Processing Centre in Bengaluru examines large refunds more carefully.

Ravi Agrawal, Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxation, explained that authorities analyze high-value claims flagged by the system. Additionally, they send notices to taxpayers requesting revised returns when needed.

How to Check Your Refund Status?

Follow these simple steps to track your refund status:

1. Visit the income tax portal at eportal.incometax.gov.in
2. Log in using your User ID and password
3. Click on ‘e-File’ tab
4. Select ‘Income Tax Returns’
5. Choose ‘View Filed Returns’
6. Click ‘View Details’ to see your refund status

The portal shows whether your refund is issued, under review, or pending additional information.

Key Problems and Solutions

Bank Account Issues: Double-check your account number and IFSC code. Also, ensure your bank account is pre-validated on the portal. Any mismatch between your PAN name and bank account name will block the refund.

Data Mismatches: Inconsistencies between Form 26AS, Annual Information Statement (AIS), and Form 16 trigger manual reviews. Therefore, verify all documents match before filing. If you find errors, submit feedback through the portal or file a corrected return.

Multiple Income Sources: Taxpayers with stock market activities or foreign income face longer verification times. Consequently, these cases require more detailed examination.

What to Do If Your Refund Is Stuck?

If your refund hasn’t arrived within five weeks, take these steps. First, check your email for notices from the Income Tax Department. Next, review the portal for any discrepancy messages. Then, raise a grievance ticket if necessary. Finally, ensure your PAN remains active and linked to Aadhaar.

Tax experts believe ITR refund delays stem from enhanced verification procedures rather than system failures. As the backlog clears, processing times should improve gradually.

Australia launched its groundbreaking social media ban for children under 16 on Wednesday, December 10, 2025. This world-first legislation requires major platforms to remove accounts belonging to users under 16 years old. Moreover, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described this move as families taking back power from tech giants.

Affected Platforms and Penalties

Ten major platforms now face strict age restrictions. Consequently, these companies must verify user ages and remove underage accounts. Otherwise, they risk massive fines.

However, several platforms remain exempt from the ban. These include Roblox, Discord, WhatsApp, YouTube Kids, and Messenger. Additionally, the government considers these platforms “low risk” for children.

The federal government’s long social media ban for children under 16 is now in effect.

Here are are the platforms and apps that children can and cannot access in Australia from today.

Keep up to date with today’s headlines: https://t.co/LEXwrNsd4b pic.twitter.com/K1nkAjSSxM

— SBS News (@SBSNews) December 9, 2025

How Age Verification Works?

Different platforms use various methods to verify ages. For instance, TikTok combines technology with human moderation. Similarly, Snapchat tracks user behavior alongside birth dates. Furthermore, Meta uses facial recognition through a tool called Yoti. Meanwhile, Reddit employs age prediction models.

If platforms mistakenly identify someone as underage, users can appeal. Therefore, they must provide government IDs or undergo facial recognition checks to prove their age.

Implementation Challenges

Despite the law’s intentions, some children have already found workarounds. Specifically, reports show kids drawing facial hair to fool age verification systems. Additionally, older siblings help younger users bypass restrictions. Nevertheless, Communications Minister Anika Wells warned these tactics won’t work forever.

“These platforms have so much data on users,” Wells explained. “Even if children avoid detection today, platforms will eventually catch them through routine checks.”

Already, TikTok has deactivated over 200,000 Australian accounts. Still, enforcement remains challenging during these early stages.

Public Response

Public opinion strongly supports this reform. Indeed, polls show two-thirds of Australian voters back the ban. Furthermore, parents whose children suffered from online harm praised the legislation. Wayne Holdsworth, whose son died from an online sextortion scam, called it an important start.

However, not everyone celebrates the change. Simone Clements explained how the ban affects her 15-year-old twins, who work as entertainers. Their social media presence serves as their portfolio and income source. Therefore, the ban creates financial consequences for young performers.

Global Influence

Several countries now closely watch Australia’s experiment. Notably, Malaysia, Denmark, and Norway plan to introduce similar bans. Meanwhile, the European Union is considering adopting comparable regulations.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant will monitor platform compliance. She plans to release preliminary results before Christmas. After that, a legal review will take place approximately 2 years later.

The social media ban for children under 16 represents a bold step toward protecting young Australians online. While implementation challenges exist, supporters believe this reform will change lives worldwide.