Out of 8.80 cr tax returns filed for AY 2025-26, 24.64 lakh pending for processing for over 90 days

New Delhi (PTI): Over 24.64 lakh income tax returns are pending for processing for more than 90 days, out of about 8.80 crore ITRs filed for Assessment Year 2025-26 till February 4, 2026, Parliament was informed on Tuesday.

To a question on the number of such returns pending for processing by the I-T department as on January 31, 2026, which are more than 90 days old, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said, "Out of total number of 8,79,62,234 returns filed for AY 2025-26 by the taxpayers till February 4,2026, returns pending for processing for more than 90 days are 24,64,044".

In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Chaudhary also said as a result of the NUDGE campaign, 1.11 crore updated/revised ITRs were filed in the last 2 years, and additional taxes of Rs 6,976.50 crore were paid. Besides, the total refund claim amount, reduced/additional tax paid in December 2025, stood at Rs 1,834 crore.

The total revenue impact of the NUDGE campaign stood at Rs 8,810.59 crore.

"Substantial percentage of these individuals are first-time/non-filers to whom communication was sent or who filed the returns during the period on becoming aware through the media," Chaudhary said in reply to another question in the House.

Under the Non-Intrusive Usage of Data to Guide and Enable (NUDGE) campaign, communications are sent to select taxpayers to review and revise/update their ITRs already filed. The taxpayers are selected on the basis of advanced risk analysis, identifying incorrect or non-reporting of assets or income, or excess claims of deductions or exemptions in their ITRs.

The select taxpayers are mainly those who have not disclosed their foreign asset holdings or income or have claimed incorrect deductions u/s 80G, 80GGC or 80E, etc. or have claimed excess exemptions.