Refund Tracking
Bank Account Pre-Validation Failed: Every Portal Error and Its Fix
What each pre-validation failure on the income tax portal means, from PAN-bank linkage to name mismatch and closed accounts, and the exact steps to re-validate and get your refund.
myutils.me8 min read
Your refund for AY 2026-27 has been processed, but the money hasn't arrived, and under My Profile > My Bank Account the account sits in the Failed tab. The portal sends refunds only to an account that is pre-validated (checked against your PAN by the bank) and nominated for refund, so a failed validation stops the refund at the last step.
The fix depends on the reason the portal shows next to the account. Most reasons need one visit or call to your bank branch, then a Re-Validate click on the portal. This guide goes through each reason the portal lists, what it means and what to do.
Where to see the failure reason
- Log in at incometax.gov.in.
- Go to My Profile > My Bank Account. You will see three tabs: Added Bank Accounts, Failed Bank Accounts and Removed Bank Accounts.
- Open Failed Bank Accounts. The reason for failure is shown against each account.
Accounts in the Added tab carry one of these statuses:
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| Validation in progress | The request has gone to the bank. The portal's FAQ says the status updates in 10 to 12 working days. |
| Validated | The bank confirmed the account against your PAN. You can nominate it for refund. |
| Validated and EVC enabled | Validated, and also usable to generate an EVC for e-verification. |
| Validation cannot be done | The bank is integrated neither with the e-Filing portal nor with NPCI, so no check is possible. |
"Validation cannot be done" is not a failure you can fix by re-validating. Add an account at a bank that is integrated with e-Filing or NPCI instead.
Every failure reason and its fix
The portal's user manual lists different reasons depending on whether your bank is integrated with the e-Filing portal. The fixes are similar.
Banks integrated with e-Filing
| Reason shown | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| PAN-Bank Account-IFSC linkage failed | The bank's records do not hold your PAN against this account and IFSC. | Ask the branch to link your PAN to the account, then click Re-Validate. |
| Name mismatch | The name on the account does not match the name on your PAN. | Ask the branch to update the account name as per PAN, then re-validate. |
| Bank Account Number mismatch | The account number you entered doesn't match the bank's record for your PAN. | Click Re-Validate, correct the account number and resubmit. |
| Account number does not exist | No such account at that IFSC. | Enter the correct number (check for a missing leading zero) and resubmit. |
| Bank account closed / inactive | The account can't receive credits. | Use a different, active account, and check with the branch if you think it is open. |
Banks not integrated with e-Filing
| Reason shown | Fix |
|---|---|
| PAN not linked with bank account | Link your PAN with the account at the branch, then click Re-Validate. |
| PAN mismatch | The account carries a different PAN. Have the branch correct it, then re-validate. |
| Invalid account type | Click Re-Validate, choose the right account type and submit. |
| Account closed/Inactive/Litigated/Frozen or blocked | Use another valid account and talk to the branch about this one. |
| Account holder name invalid | Get the branch to update the name as per PAN, then re-validate with updated details. |
"Invalid Account" when you add the account
Only these account types can be pre-validated for refund: savings, current, cash credit, overdraft and NRO accounts. Loan accounts and PPF accounts are refused with an "Invalid Account" error. NRE accounts are not on the list either, so a non-resident claiming a refund needs an NRO account or a resident account in their name.
How to re-validate a failed account
Once the bank has fixed its side, re-validate from the portal:
- Open My Profile > My Bank Account > Failed Bank Accounts.
- Click Re-Validate in the Action column for the account.
- The Add Bank Account page opens with your details pre-filled. Bank details can be edited; contact details cannot. Correct what needs correcting.
- Click Proceed to E-Verify, choose a verification method and enter the OTP.
The account moves to Added Bank Accounts with the status Validation in progress. The result is sent to the mobile number and email registered on the portal.
If an account is stuck at Validation in progress with wrong details, the manual allows you to remove it (Remove Bank Account in the Action column) and add it again with the correct details.
A worked example
Priya filed her AY 2026-27 return in July 2026 claiming a refund of ₹18,450. Her savings account was opened as "Priya S" while her PAN reads "Priya Sharma". Here is how the fix plays out:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1 | CPC processes the return and determines the ₹18,450 refund in the 143(1) intimation. |
| 2 | The refund credit fails because the account shows Name mismatch. |
| 3 | Priya asks her branch to update the account name to match her PAN. |
| 4 | She clicks Re-Validate; status shows Validation in progress. |
| 5 | Once it shows Validated, she turns on Nominate for Refund. |
| 6 | She raises a refund reissue request for the failed refund. |
Step 6 is the one people miss. Fixing the bank account does not by itself resend a refund that has already failed. You have to ask for it again.
After validation: nominate, then ask for the refund again
- In Added Bank Accounts, click the Nominate for Refund toggle on the validated account and click Continue. You can validate and nominate more than one account.
- If CPC already tried to pay and the credit failed, go to Services > Refund Reissue > Create Refund Reissue Request, select the failed refund, pick the validated account and e-verify. Note the Transaction ID. Our guide to raising a refund reissue request walks through each screen.
- If the return is still being processed, you don't need a reissue request. CPC will use the nominated account when it issues the refund.
Returns for AY 2026-27 and earlier are still processed under the Income-tax Act, 1961, even though the Income-tax Act, 2025 has applied since 1 April 2026. My Bank Account is a portal service rather than a section of either Act, so the steps above are what you follow whichever law your refund falls under. How interest on a refund is worked out is covered in the refund interest guide.
Other things that look like a bank problem
- Inoperative PAN. If your PAN is inoperative because it isn't linked with Aadhaar, no refund is issued until you link them. Re-validating the bank account won't help. See inoperative PAN and refunds.
- Refund adjusted. If the refund was set off against an older demand, nothing was sent to the bank. See refund adjusted against an old demand.
- Refund still being processed. Check the status first. Our post on ITR processed but no refund has a checklist.
If you keep an eye on refunds for several PANs, myutils.me shows the refund status, account and bank reference for each PAN you add, after a sync you start. It is an independent app and does not change anything on the portal for you.
FAQ
How long does bank account pre-validation take?
The portal's FAQ says the status is updated within 10 to 12 working days after you submit. You get the result by SMS and email on the contact details registered on the portal.
Do I need my e-Filing mobile number to match the bank's to pre-validate?
The portal's FAQ ties the mobile and email match to EVC: a mismatched account shows a warning and can't be used to generate an EVC until the details match. Pre-validation for refund checks the account against your PAN and name.
Can I get a refund in a joint account?
The portal's help pages don't address joint accounts directly. The form asks for a holder type, and validation checks the account against your PAN and name, so the account needs your PAN linked to it at the bank. If it fails, the reason shown tells you which detail the bank could not match.
My account is validated but the refund still failed. Why?
Check that it is also nominated for refund, that it hasn't been closed since, and that your PAN is operative. Then raise a refund reissue request to the validated, nominated account.
Can I use an NRE account for an income tax refund?
NRE accounts are not among the account types the portal allows for pre-validation. The allowed types are savings, current, cash credit, overdraft and NRO.
Sources
Topics
- Tax Filing
- AY 2026-27
myutils.me
Written by the team behind myutils.me, a free, independent app that brings ITR status, refunds and AIS/TIS for each PAN into one dashboard. Check anything important against the Income Tax portal before you act on it.
