How to Read Form 26AS and AIS Before Filing ITR for FY 2025-26
Every year, thousands of salaried professionals file their ITR without checking Form 26AS or AIS first. Then they receive notices. The income tax department already has your financial data from banks, employers, brokers, and mutual funds. If what you declare in your ITR does not match what they have on record, the system automatically flags it.
With 7 years of experience working with salaried professionals on income tax, this is one of the most preventable mistakes I see. Thirty minutes spent reading Form 26AS and AIS before filing can eliminate most scrutiny notices.
This guide explains exactly what each statement shows, how to read every section, what to verify, and what to do when you find a mismatch.
Important Update: Form 26AS is now Form 168
Under the Income Tax Act 2025 effective April 1, 2026, Form 26AS has been renumbered as Form 168. However, for FY 2025-26 ITR filing (due July 31, 2026), it is still accessed and referenced as Form 26AS on the income tax portal under Tab 1. The content and structure remain the same. Form 168 terminology will apply from Tax Year 2026-27 onwards.
Form 26AS vs AIS vs TIS: What Is the Difference?
Most guides treat these as the same thing. They are not. Understanding the difference is the starting point.
Form 26AS (now Form 168 from April 2026) is your Tax Credit Statement. From AY 2023-24 onwards, it shows only TDS and TCS data, that is, tax deducted on your income by employers, banks, and others. It is your primary document to verify that TDS credits are correctly linked to your PAN before claiming them in your ITR.
AIS (Annual Information Statement) is a broader statement that shows everything the tax department knows about your financial activity during the year. This includes salary, interest income, dividends, mutual fund transactions, property purchases and sales, foreign remittances, GST turnover, and more. AIS was introduced to give taxpayers full visibility of what has been reported against their PAN by various sources.
TIS (Taxpayer Information Summary) is a rolled-up summary within AIS that shows the net processed values after removing duplicates and applying your feedback. This is what the income tax portal uses for pre-filling your ITR.
The correct sequence before filing your ITR is: check Form 26AS first to verify TDS credits, then review AIS to check all reported income and transactions, then use TIS to see what will be pre-filled in your return.
How to Access Form 26AS for FY 2025-26
Step 1: Log in to incometax.gov.in with your PAN and password.
Step 2: On the dashboard, click on e-File in the top menu.
Step 3: Go to Income Tax Returns and click View Form 26AS.
Step 4: Read the disclaimer and click Confirm. You will be redirected to the TRACES portal.
Step 5: On TRACES, agree to the usage terms and click Proceed.
Step 6: Select Assessment Year 2026-27 (for FY 2025-26 income) and choose the format. PDF is easiest to read. HTML allows online viewing without download.
PDF password: The downloaded PDF is password protected. In most cases the password is your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format. For example, if you were born on March 15, 1990, the password is 15031990.
How to Read Every Section of Form 26AS
Form 26AS for FY 2025-26 has the following main sections. Here is what each one means and what to check.
Part A: TDS on Salary and Other Income
This is the most important section for salaried professionals. It shows every employer or institution that deducted TDS from payments made to you during the year, along with the amount deducted and the amount deposited with the government.
What to check here:
Verify that your employer’s TAN (Tax Deduction Account Number) is correctly listed. If you changed jobs during FY 2025-26, both employers should appear here. Verify that the TDS amount matches what is shown in your Form 16 from each employer. If TDS is deducted but the status shows “U” (Unmatched) instead of “F” (Final), it means your employer has not filed their TDS return correctly. You cannot claim this credit until it is corrected. Contact your HR or payroll team immediately if you see unmatched entries.
Part A1: TDS on Sale of Immovable Property
If you sold a property during FY 2025-26, the buyer was required to deduct 1% TDS and deposit it. This section shows that deduction. If you bought property and deducted TDS from the seller’s payment, it does not appear here, it appears in the seller’s Form 26AS.
Part B: TDS on Income Other Than Salary
This covers TDS deducted on interest income from fixed deposits, recurring deposits, savings accounts (above Rs. 10,000 in a year), professional fees, rent received above Rs. 2.4 lakh per year, commission income, and other non-salary payments.
What to check: Match each entry against your bank statements and income records. If a bank deducted TDS on FD interest but the entry is missing from Form 26AS, the bank may not have filed their TDS return. Contact the bank before filing your ITR.
Part C: Tax Paid by Taxpayer
This shows advance tax and self-assessment tax payments you made directly to the government using Challan 280. If you paid advance tax quarterly during FY 2025-26, those payments should appear here with the BSR code, challan serial number, and date.
What to check: Verify that all your direct tax payments are reflected. If you paid advance tax but it is not showing, the challan details may have been entered incorrectly. Keep all challans safe until after filing. For details on advance tax, read the advance tax payment guide.
Part D: Refunds
Shows refunds issued to you in FY 2025-26 against previous years’ ITR filings. This is informational. No action needed unless an expected refund is missing.
Part F: TDS on Sale of Immovable Property by Taxpayer (as Buyer)
If you purchased property during FY 2025-26 and deducted TDS under Section 194IA, this section confirms the deposit. Verify the amount and date match your records.
Part G: TDS Defaults
Shows any defaults in TDS statement processing. If your employer or any deductor has a default here, it can affect your credit claim. Check with the relevant deductor if any defaults appear against your PAN.
How to Access AIS for FY 2025-26
Step 1: Log in to incometax.gov.in.
Step 2: On the dashboard, click Annual Information Statement (AIS). This is a direct menu item visible after login.
Step 3: Click Proceed on the AIS portal.
Step 4: Select FY 2025-26 from the dropdown.
Step 5: You can view AIS online or download it in PDF, JSON, or CSV format. PDF is most readable for most people.
How to Read AIS: Section by Section
TDS and TCS Section
Same data as Form 26AS but presented differently. Use Form 26AS for TDS verification and AIS for broader income verification. Do not double count.
SFT (Specified Financial Transactions)
This is where most surprises appear. Banks, mutual funds, registrars, and other entities report high-value transactions to the income tax department. What you will see here includes mutual fund purchases above Rs. 10 lakh in a year, fixed deposits above Rs. 10 lakh, property transactions, share purchases and sales, credit card spends above Rs. 10 lakh per year, and cash deposits above Rs. 10 lakh.
What to check: Go through each SFT entry and verify it matches your actual transactions. Mutual fund statements from CAMS or KFintech will help you cross check. If you see a transaction you do not recognize, do not ignore it. Use the feedback mechanism (explained below) to mark it as incorrect.
Interest Income
Shows interest reported by banks on savings accounts, fixed deposits, and recurring deposits. Even if TDS was not deducted (because the interest was below the threshold), banks still report the interest to the tax department. You must declare this interest in your ITR even if no TDS was deducted on it. Missing interest income is one of the most common reasons people receive notices after filing.
Dividend Income
Shows dividends received from stocks and mutual funds as reported by companies and mutual funds. Cross check with your demat account statement and mutual fund statements. Dividends are taxable at your slab rate and must be declared in your ITR.
Capital Gains
Shows sale transactions reported by brokers and mutual funds including long-term and short-term capital gains from stocks, equity mutual funds, debt funds, and property. Use this section along with your broker’s capital gains statement and CAMS or KFintech statement to ensure all transactions are accounted for. For details on which ITR form to use when you have capital gains, read the ITR form selection guide.
Other Income
Includes rent received, freelance income reported by clients who deducted TDS, foreign remittances, and other miscellaneous income. If you received rent, check that the amounts match what tenants actually paid you. If you did freelance work, check that client-reported amounts match your records.
The AIS Feedback Mechanism: What to Do When Data Is Wrong
AIS sometimes contains errors. A common example is a transaction appearing twice because two different entities reported the same transaction. Or a bank reports an FD interest amount that does not match what you actually received.
You cannot edit AIS directly. But you can submit feedback. Here is how:
Step 1: In AIS, find the incorrect entry and click the feedback icon next to it.
Step 2: Select the appropriate feedback category: Information is correct, Information is not fully correct, Information relates to other PAN, Information is duplicate, Information is denied, or Information is not related to this year.
Step 3: Add a brief explanation and submit.
Step 4: The feedback reflects in TIS, which updates the value used for pre-filling your ITR.
Important: Submitting feedback does not delete the entry from AIS. It marks it as disputed and updates TIS. When you file your ITR, declare income based on your actual records, not just what AIS shows, and explain any discrepancies if asked.
Form 26AS vs AIS: What to Do When They Do Not Match
Form 26AS and AIS can sometimes show different figures for the same transaction. Here is how to handle common mismatches.
TDS amount differs: If Form 26AS shows less TDS than AIS, rely on Form 26AS for claiming TDS credit since the portal uses Form 26AS for credit matching. Contact the deductor to file a revised TDS return if the Form 26AS figure is wrong.
Income appears in AIS but not in Form 26AS: This is normal for income sources where TDS was not deducted. Declare the income in your ITR based on your actual records. You do not need TDS credit for income where no TDS was deducted.
Transaction in AIS that you do not recognize: Use the feedback mechanism to dispute it. Do not simply ignore it. If the transaction is genuine but belongs to a different PAN (misquoted by the reporting entity), submit feedback and also contact the entity to correct their filing.
The 5-Step Verification Checklist Before Filing ITR
Step 1: Download Form 26AS for AY 2026-27
Verify TDS credits from all employers, banks, and other deductors. Match amounts with Form 16 and bank TDS certificates.
Step 2: Download AIS for FY 2025-26
Review all income categories: salary, interest, dividends, capital gains, rent, freelance income. Flag anything that looks incorrect using the feedback mechanism.
Step 3: Cross-check with your own records
Bank statements for interest income. Broker statements and CAMS or KFintech for capital gains and dividends. Rent receipts for rental income. Invoices for freelance income.
Step 4: Resolve mismatches before filing
Contact deductors for TDS corrections. Submit AIS feedback for incorrect entries. Allow 2 to 3 weeks for corrections to reflect if requesting TDS return revisions.
Step 5: File ITR based on actual records
Declare all income based on your actual records even if AIS does not show it. Do not under-declare income just because AIS missed it. The department may have the data from another source.
Common Mistakes That Lead to Notices
Mistake 1: Claiming TDS credit that is not in Form 26AS
If TDS was deducted but not deposited by your employer or bank, it will not appear in Form 26AS. The portal will reject the credit claim. Resolve this with the deductor before filing.
Mistake 2: Not declaring FD interest because no TDS was deducted
Banks report all interest to the tax department regardless of whether TDS was deducted. Not declaring it creates an automatic mismatch.
Mistake 3: Not reconciling capital gains with AIS
Brokers report all sale transactions. Even small transactions appear in AIS. If you sold any stocks or mutual fund units in FY 2025-26, ensure all transactions are accounted for.
Mistake 4: Ignoring AIS entries for previous employer
If you changed jobs, your previous employer’s TDS will appear in Form 26AS under their TAN. Some people file only with their current employer’s Form 16 and miss the previous employer’s TDS credit entirely.
Mistake 5: Filing without downloading AIS at all
The most common mistake. Many people rely only on Form 16 and skip AIS entirely. AIS may contain dividend income, mutual fund redemptions, or FD interest that needs to be declared but is not on Form 16. For the complete ITR filing process, read the step-by-step ITR filing guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Form 26AS the same as AIS?
No. From AY 2023-24 onwards, Form 26AS shows only TDS and TCS data. AIS is a broader statement covering all income and financial transactions reported against your PAN including interest, dividends, capital gains, and more. Both should be checked before filing.
What is the password for Form 26AS PDF?
The password is your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format. For example, if your date of birth is January 5, 1985, the password is 05011985.
Form 26AS shows less TDS than my Form 16. What should I do?
Contact your employer’s payroll or HR department immediately. The employer may not have deposited the TDS or may have filed their TDS return with an error. They need to file a revised TDS return to correct this. Do not file your ITR until this is resolved as you cannot claim a TDS credit that is not in Form 26AS.
There is an income entry in AIS that I do not recognize. Should I declare it?
First submit feedback in AIS marking it as incorrect or not related to you. Then check with the reporting entity (usually a bank, broker, or mutual fund) to understand why the entry appeared. Declare income based on your actual records, not just what AIS shows.
When is the best time to check Form 26AS and AIS for FY 2025-26?
Check immediately now, in April 2026. Filing early in April or May means faster refunds and more time to resolve any discrepancies. Waiting until July means resolving issues under deadline pressure. Read the ITR filing deadline guide for why early filing is better.
Can I file my ITR if there is a mismatch between Form 26AS and AIS?
Yes, you can file based on your actual records. Use the AIS feedback mechanism to flag incorrect entries. If the mismatch is due to an error by a deductor, contact them to file a revised TDS return. Document all discrepancies and keep records in case you receive a notice.
Form 26AS is now called Form 168. Does that affect my July 2026 filing?
No. For your July 2026 ITR filing covering FY 2025-26, Form 26AS is still accessible as Form 26AS on the portal under the Income Tax Act 1961 section. Form 168 terminology applies from Tax Year 2026-27 (ITR filed in July 2027) onwards. Read the Income Tax Act 2025 vs 1961 guide for full transition details.
The Bottom Line
Form 26AS and AIS together give you a complete picture of what the income tax department already knows about your finances. Checking both before filing is not optional, it is essential. Discrepancies that you catch and resolve before filing take 30 minutes. Discrepancies that the department catches after filing take months to resolve and may result in notices, penalties, and interest.
Download both statements today. Verify every entry. Submit AIS feedback for anything incorrect. File your ITR based on your actual records. This is the correct order, and it works every time.
For a complete pre-filing checklist and step-by-step ITR process, read the complete ITR filing guide. For understanding all deductions you can claim before filing, read the tax saving tips for salaried employees and the complete Section 80C guide.
Questions about a specific entry in your Form 26AS or AIS? Drop them in the comments below.
