What is Form 26AS and how to use it while filing ITR

Representative image

Before filing your Income Tax Return (ITR), cross-verifying Form 26AS is required. It's a tax report that summarizes all tax transactions during a financial year—i.e., TDS, TCS, advance tax, and refund. It checks whether tax credits deducted in your ITR match with records retained by the Income Tax Department so that there is no notice or mismatches. The following is a step-by-step process to download and see it.

Step 1: Login to the e-filing portal of income tax

Visit the official portal of income tax e-filing at www.incometax.gov.in. Login with PAN (as user ID), password, and captcha code. If you have forgotten your password, you can reset it through OTP verification. Once you have logged in, under the menu "e-File," click on "Income Tax Returns," followed by "View Form 26AS."

Step 2: You will be taken to the TRACES portal

Once you click to see Form 26AS, you will be directed to the site of TRACES (TDS Reconciliation Analysis and Correction Enabling System). Agree with terms and conditions, and you will be on the page to see Form 26AS. Select the assessment year (let's say, 2025–26) and see or download the file in "HTML" or "PDF" format.

Step 3: View what each part of Form 26AS represents

Form 26AS is divided into different segments. Part A captures TDS on salary, interest, or rent. Part B captures tax collected at source (TCS). Part C captures advance tax or self-assessment tax paid. Part D captures any refund obtained. Part E captures high-value transactions like investing in mutual funds or buying property. Check these against your Form 16, bank statements, and investment statements.

Step 4: Verify 26AS with your ITR prior to submission

Check whether the tax deducted at source and tax deposited in Form 26AS is corresponding to your ITR. Otherwise, it will hold back your refund or invoke a notice. For example, if TDS is shown on your salary voucher but not on Form 26AS, the tax would not have been deposited by your employer. If that is the case, follow up before filing the return.

Always file a valid ITR with Form 26AS

Form 26AS is your official account of tax credits. Downloading and checking it before filing confirms you are certain that all taxes paid are accurately credited to your PAN. Submitting the return with correct and validated details facilitates processing and enables faster refunds. Get accustomed to checking Form 26AS annually at tax season time.