This article shows the next steps to be taken for tax payers receiving the SMS regarding processing of their income tax return is now held as it was identified under risk management process.
This article is a part of our detailed article series on various communications that the income tax department sends you. Ensure you have read the other parts here:
This article outlines the next steps for taxpayers who receive an email or SMS regarding missed or incomplete Schedule FA, based on FATCA/CRS data-sharing agreements.
This article outlines the next steps for taxpayers who receive an SMS regarding significant mismatches in their income tax filing and IT records.
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This guide explains why you might receive a notice under Section 148A, how to respond effectively, and the new time limits for reassessment along with Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
This article tells the next steps to take if you have received an SMS about your past income tax returns which you can amend using the ITR-U facility.
This article tells the next steps to take if you have received an SMS about your 80GGC tax deduction claim made in the past.
This article shows you what do do if you receive this cryptic SMS from the income tax department.
In December 2025, multiple taxpayers received this cryptic SMS from the CMCPCI handle of the income-tax department that looked like this:
It was noticed that a claim of refund has been made in the Income-Tax Return for PAN: **** for AY: 2025-26 filed by you.
Processing of the said return was held as it was identified under risk management process on account of certain discrepancies in the claim of refund. An email with details has also been sent to your registered email address.
As the time-limit for filing of revised return of income for A.Y. 2025-26 will expire on 31/12/2025, you are requested to avail the opportunity to file revised return within the due date. An updated return may be alternatively filed from 01.01.2026, however with additional tax liabilities.
In case a revised return has already been filed on the referred issue, kindly ignore this message.
Warm regards, Income Tax Department
This message says that the income tax department has put the return processing on hold due to validation issues, such as (as per emails from Income Tax department):
You have claimed significant refund out of TDS deducted on receipt of Salary Income.
There is a significant mismatch between the exemption claim in the ITR vis-a-vis amounts reported by the employer in Form 16 (Annexure-II), and this has resulted in a substantially high claim of refund.
The claim of donation given to political party(ies) appears to be unverifiable.
The total claim of deductions is unreasonably high as compared to the Gross Salary / Gross Total Income, and this has resulted in a substantially high claim of refund.
There is a significant mismatch between the exemption claim in the ITR vis-a-vis amounts reported by the employer in Form 16 (Annexure-II), and this has resulted in a substantially high claim of refund.
The claim of deduction u/s 80E appears to be incorrect and unusual.
The actual cause of the issue does not appear in the SMS message, and the taxpayer has to figure out the possible causes, which is problematic without clear direction. The message also means that:
You income tax return processing is now held unless you revise the filing. If you don’t revise, it will likely go into manual processing with more delays and higher chances of penalty and interest
If you have received this message, this is what you can do.
Whenever taxation is involved, it is normal to be cautious but not so much as to ignore a communication that might be legitimate. However, this is not a mass SMS and neither is it a scam. The SMS comes from the CMCPCI handle of the income-tax department and should not be ignored. Additionally, this official press release was made on 23rd December, 2025 to address these messages:
The right course of action will be to check the email mailbox for the said email with more details. If the email is not there, check if the email ID is correctly registered in the income tax profile, the mailbox is not full and can receive emails and the mail has not gone into the Spam folder. If you have received the email (it will from the ID ITD_Support@insight.gov.in), it will have the causes listed (one or more from the list above) and you need to act accordingly.
If you have received this SMS, do not ignore it. If none of the items in the validation issue list apply to you, please log in to the income tax portal and check if there is anything under Pending Actions in the income tax portal. If you have received the email, it will have the details that you need to act.
It is a good practice to immediately check if there are any Pending Actions in the income-tax portal:
If there is no Pending Action, check back in a few days.
If there is a Pending Action, please follow the instructions provided related to resolving the issue. This will start the processing steps for the Pending Action.
Log in to the Income Tax Portal. Check your filing under e-File > Income Tax Returns > View Filed Returns and check the return using the Download Form button and tally the numbers in AIS, Form 16 and Form 26AS
If you do find a discrepancy, it will be good practice to amend the ITR immediately.
For example if there is an AIS vs. ITR mismatch then do this:
| AIS | ITR | Action Required | Professional Advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIS is Wrong | ITR is Right | Provide feedback in the AIS portal to correct the data. No ITR revision is needed. |
Generally manageable by the taxpayer. |
| AIS is Right | ITR is Wrong | Refile or revise ITR by Dec 31. Mark the AIS info as “Correct.” |
Highly Recommended to Consult a CA. |
When it comes to income tax, it is good to follow the rules and not tempt fate by thinking that the limits do not apply in your case. It is good to take help from a competent CA if there is any doubt or confusion.
Delaying beyond 31st December requires ITR-U to be filed instead of revising the return, and will lead to late fees and penalties with interest in case there is an actual issue.
Published: 18 December 2025
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This post titled What Should You Do If You Have Received the Income Tax SMS Regarding Processing of the said return was held? first appeared on 23 Dec 2025 at https://arthgyaan.com
