Employers usually withhold a certain percentage of your salary for the payment of income tax. But sometimes, these withholdings are greater than the taxes that you are actually obligated to pay. Or sometimes, banks deduct taxes on deposits made by you. The only way to claim refunds is to file your return of income in time.  However, delay in receipt of income tax refunds is the most registered grievance of taxpayers. You have to face a lot of problems in getting his refund from the Income Tax Department. Sometimes, you receive intimation u/s 143(1) (a) which says that a refund is due to you but the refund cheques never reach you. Often, the refund cheque is received after the expiry of the validity period of three months. Again, you are required to apply for revalidation of the same. Sometimes, if the refund cheque is deposited in the bank, it is returned by the bank for want of ‘advice’ from the Department. Whether it’s the Income Tax Department’s lethargy or the growing number of tax payers, delayed refunds remain high on the list of complaints against the department. One of the challenges for any tax payer is getting a refund, because it is a lengthy and time-consuming process. Reason for Refund Delays 1) Refund delays are often caused by errors in the tax return. 2) Wrong Bank Account numbers, missing documents and bad math can slow your refund down considerably. 3) Plus, there is always the possibility of your refund, or return, getting lost or misdirected in the mail. Prevention/Solution 1) Before filling your return, make sure that you have signed it and have punched it properly. If required, take assistance from tax experts such as Taxmantra.com . 2) Any defective filing from your/Department’s side has to be solved by a rectification letter. If the issue is cleared, you will get your pending refund. 3) If there are no defects, you need to pursue with your Assessing Officer (AO), along with copies of returns. 4) If you change your residence, inform the Department about your address change. 5) Inform the Department about your Bank Account with proper detailing. Timely and efficient tax planning go long way in lowering your total taxes by employing and taking advantages of in-built provisions of tax exemptions, deductions, concessions, rebates, relief’s, allowances and other benefits granted by the tax laws so that the incidence of tax is reduced. We at Taxmantra.com have the expertise to guide you in lowering your tax outgo and thus enhancing your total take away.  We at Taxmantra.com provide full year support solving all your tax issues, in addition to filing of your return of income with excellent tax planning. Please join us now in pursuit of simplifying individual taxation! Alok Patnia Founder and Director at Taxmantra.com