How to submit your ITR without Form 16 for AY 2024-25

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Filing ITR without Form 16 can appear daunting, especially for salaried individuals, but is certainly attainable with the right documentation. For AY 2024–25 (FY 2023–24), the deadline for filing ITR without penalty is 31st July 2025, and taxpayers who have not received Form 16 can also file properly based on other sources of income and tax data.

Form 16 is a certificate provided by employers showing the salary drawn and tax deducted at source (TDS) in a given financial year. If your employer fails to provide it in time or has shut shop, or if you've switched jobs and didn't receive it from your previous employer, you can still file your return on the basis of payslips, bank statement, and Form 26AS.

Start with your salary slip for the month to arrive at your total annual income. Add basic salary, bonuses, HRA, and other allowances. Verify your bank account statements for credit entries of salary receipts. Then trace through Form 26AS or the Annual Information Statement (AIS) on the income tax portal. These will show all TDS credited to your PAN by your employer and other deductors.

Compute your gross income by adding up your salary income and any other income such as interest on savings account, fixed deposits, rent, or capital gains. Then, deduct under sections like 80C (LIC, PPF, EPF), 80D (medical insurance), and 24(b) (interest on home loan). Keep proof of payments and investments handy in case of audit.

Most salary earners will submit ITR-1 (Sahaj), unless they have capital gains, income from the sale of two or more house properties, or business income. After finding the form, you can access the e-filing portal for income tax and fill in the information manually or import it from the AIS and TIS (Taxpayer Information Summary).

Once you've filled in the details and validated your tax payment or refund, e-file the return. Forgive yourself not to e-verify it using Aadhaar OTP, net banking, or bank account verification. Failure to e-verify will invalidate your ITR.

Though Form 16 makes ITR filing easy, not having it is not an issue. With correct records and proper access to the portal data of income tax, salaried taxpayers can file their returns in good time and without penalty. Just ensure careful cross-checking of details and documentation ready at hand for any future inquiry from the department.