Form 26AS — Annual Tax Statement Guide and Download FY 2025-26

Form 26AS is an annual consolidated tax credit statement maintained by the Income Tax Department under Section 203AA of the Income Tax Act 1961. It is linked to the taxpayer's PAN and consolidates all tax-related transactions associated with that PAN during the financial year. The statement is available free of charge on the income tax portal at incometax.gov.in and is updated in near-real-time as deductors file TDS returns and taxpayers make tax payments.nnForm 26AS contains several distinct parts. Part A covers TDS on salary and non-salary income — showing the name of the deductor (employer, bank, tenant, etc.), the section under which TDS was deducted, the gross amount paid, TDS deducted, and TDS deposited. Part B covers TDS on sale of immovable property (Form 26QB). Part C covers advance tax and self-assessment tax paid by the taxpayer directly through challans. Part D covers refunds received during the year including the assessment year for which the refund was issued.nnHistorically, Form 26AS also included high-value transaction data (formerly called SFT — Statement of Financial Transactions). From FY 2021-22, this high-value transaction data has been migrated to the Annual Information Statement (AIS), leaving Form 26AS focused on its core function of displaying TDS credits and tax payment history. The AIS, accessible from the same income tax portal, provides transaction-level detail on interest income, dividend income, securities transactions, mutual fund transactions, and property transactions reported by financial institutions.

Downloading Form 26AS is straightforward and free. The statement is available on the income tax e-filing portal at incometax.gov.in. Step 1: Log in to the portal using your PAN and password. If you have not registered, create an account using your PAN, Aadhaar, and mobile number. Step 2: From the dashboard, navigate to the e-File menu and select Income Tax Returns, then View Form 26AS. The portal redirects to TRACES. Step 3: On TRACES at tdscpc.gov.in, navigate to Tax Credit, then Form 26AS. Step 4: Select the assessment year for which you need the statement (e.g., AY 2026-27 for FY 2025-26). Step 5: Choose the download format — PDF (password-protected) or text file for bulk download. The PDF password is your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format.nnAlternatively, Form 26AS can be downloaded directly from the TRACES portal at tdscpc.gov.in using the same login credentials. Many banks also provide access to Form 26AS through their net banking interface under the tax section — this is a quick way to check TDS credits without navigating the income tax portal.nnFor the most comprehensive and current view of all tax information, taxpayers should also download the AIS (Annual Information Statement) from the same income tax portal under e-File then Income Tax Returns then View AIS. The AIS shows all financial transactions reported by banks, mutual funds, stock brokers, and other financial institutions — providing a cross-check against the income declared in the ITR.

Form 26AS and the Annual Information Statement (AIS) are related but distinct tax documents available on the income tax portal. Understanding the difference prevents confusion during ITR filing.nnForm 26AS is primarily a tax credit statement — it confirms what taxes have been deducted at source on your behalf (TDS), what taxes you have paid directly (advance tax, self-assessment tax), and what refunds you have received. It is the document to rely on for verifying TDS credits before claiming them in the ITR. If TDS appears in Form 26AS, it is safe to claim as credit. If TDS does not appear (due to the deductor not filing their return or quoting wrong PAN), it cannot be claimed until the deductor corrects the error.nnThe AIS is the comprehensive income information statement — it shows all income the Income Tax Department has received information about: salary, interest from banks and post offices, dividends from companies and mutual funds, securities transaction data from stock brokers, property transaction data from sub-registrars, and many other sources. The AIS also provides a taxpayer information summary (TIS) that pre-populates the ITR with suggested income figures. Discrepancies between AIS figures and what the taxpayer intends to declare can be flagged with an online feedback mechanism — explaining why a particular AIS entry is wrong, duplicated, or not applicable.

Mismatches between Form 26AS and Form 16 or Form 16A are a frequent source of ITR scrutiny and demand notices. The most common causes of mismatch are: the deductor quoting an incorrect PAN in the TDS return (causing TDS to appear in a wrong person's Form 26AS), challan mismatch (TDS was deposited under a different TAN or with transcription errors), the deductor not filing the quarterly TDS return at all, or the deductor filing the return after the taxpayer has already filed their ITR.nnWhen a TDS amount from Form 16 or Form 16A does not appear in Form 26AS, the taxpayer should first contact the deductor (employer, bank, tenant) to verify that the TDS return was filed and the PAN was correctly quoted. If the deductor confirms filing with correct PAN, the credit may appear after a few days of processing. If the deductor acknowledges a PAN error, they must file a correction return on TRACES. Taxpayers should not delay ITR filing waiting for corrections — they can file with the correct TDS amount supported by Form 16 and note the mismatch.nnThe Income Tax Department's processing system reconciles TDS return data against ITR claims. Where the ITR claims TDS that does not appear in the return data, the AO may issue a demand notice under Section 143(1)(a) adjusting the excess TDS claim. The taxpayer must then submit a rectification request under Section 154 attaching proof that the TDS was actually deducted (Form 16/16A) and follow up with the deductor to correct their return.

Form 26AS is an essential reference document for accurate ITR filing. Before starting the ITR, every taxpayer should download Form 26AS for the relevant assessment year and perform the following verification steps.nnFirst, verify TDS from employer matches Form 16 Part A — any discrepancy should be raised with HR before filing. Second, verify TDS from banks on FD interest — cross-check against bank tax deduction certificates. Third, verify TDS from tenants if rental income exists — check against Form 16A or Form 16C received from tenants. Fourth, verify advance tax payments match the challans paid — any payment that does not appear should be raised with the assessing ward. Fifth, verify there are no unexpected TDS entries that do not relate to your income — fraudulent entries by someone misquoting your PAN should be reported to the Income Tax Department through the AIS feedback mechanism.nnSixth, for salaried employees, verify that the employer TDS in Form 26AS matches across all four quarters. Employees who changed jobs mid-year should verify TDS from both employers. Finally, download the AIS alongside Form 26AS and review whether all income sources are captured. If AIS shows interest income or dividend income not declared in the ITR, the mismatch will trigger an automated notice under Section 143(1) — better to declare all income accurately upfront.