What Is Form 26AS? Meaning, Structure, Benefits, and How to Download It
Form 26AS plays an important role in India’s income tax system because it provides a complete summary of taxes deposited against a taxpayer’s PAN.
By checking Form 26AS, taxpayers can verify whether the taxes deducted by employers or financial institutions have been correctly deposited.
What Is Form 26AS?
Form 26AS is a consolidated annual tax statement issued by the Income Tax Department of India that records all taxes deducted, collected, or paid against your Permanent Account Number (PAN).
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It acts as a tax passbook, allowing taxpayers to verify whether taxes deducted by employers, banks, or other entities have been correctly deposited with the government.
Key details shown in Form 26AS
- Tax Deducted at Source (TDS)
- Tax Collected at Source (TCS)
- Advance tax payments
- Self-assessment tax payments
- High-value financial transactions
- Refund details issued by the Income Tax Department
Checking this statement before filing your return helps prevent tax credit mismatches and notices from the department.
Who generates Form 26AS?
Form 26AS is generated by the Income Tax Department through the Centralised Processing Cell for TDS (CPC TDS) based on TDS and tax payment data filed by employers, banks, and other deductors.
When was Form 26AS introduced?
Form 26AS was introduced as a tax credit statement to track taxes deposited against a PAN, and records can be viewed on the TRACES portal for assessment years starting from 2009–10. The form was significantly expanded on 1 June 2020 to include additional financial transaction details.
What is the Purpose of Form 26AS?
The importance of Form 26AS lies in providing a consolidated tax credit statement for a financial year.
- Verify tax credit: Form 26AS helps confirm whether Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) or Tax Collected at Source (TCS) deducted by employers, banks, or other deductors has actually been deposited with the Income Tax Department.
- Ensure accurate ITR filing: The statement works as a consolidated record of taxes deducted and paid during the year, helping taxpayers reconcile their tax details before filing the Income Tax Return.
- Claim tax refunds: Form 26AS displays the total tax credited against a taxpayer’s PAN, which helps determine whether a refund can be claimed while filing the return.
What is the Structure of Form 26AS?
Form 26AS structure is divided into 10 parts, each capturing a specific category of tax-related information linked to your PAN.
| Part | Section | What It Covers |
| Part I | TDS Details | TDS on salary, business, profession, interest income, and other income sources |
| Part II | TDS on 15G/15H Submissions | Transactions where no TDS was deducted because the taxpayer submitted Form 15G or 15H (mainly senior citizens below the exemption limit) |
| Part III | TDS on Payments in Kind | TDS on non-cash payments such as cars won in lotteries or foreign trips given as sales incentives, under Section 194B, 194R, and 194S |
| Part IV | TDS u/s 194IA / 194IB / 194M / 194S (Seller/Landlord Side) | TDS on sale of house property, rent above Rs. 50,000/month, payments to contractors or professionals above Rs. 50 lakh, and sale of virtual digital assets |
| Part V | TDS on VDA Sale via Form 26QE | TDS on virtual digital asset transactions reported through Form 26QE (seller side) |
| Part VI | TCS Details | Tax Collected at Source under various provisions of Section 206C |
| Part VII | Refunds Received | Paid refunds sourced from CPC TDS; for complete refund details, AIS on the e-Filing portal should also be checked |
| Part VIII | TDS u/s 194IA / 194IB / 194M / 194S (Buyer/Tenant Side) | Details of TDS deducted by the taxpayer as a buyer of property, a tenant paying high rent, or a buyer of virtual digital assets. This is for information only. |
| Part IX | VDA Transactions via Form 26QE (Buyer Side) | TDS and demand payment details for virtual digital asset purchases reported through Form 26QE |
| Part X | TDS/TCS Defaults | Defaults identified after processing of TDS returns. Does not include demands raised by the Assessing Officer. |
How to View Form 26AS Online?
Taxpayers can view Form 26AS online through the Income Tax e-filing portal.
Follow these steps to view the 26AS form online:
Step 1: Visit the Income Tax e-filing portal and log in using your PAN and password.
Step 2: Click on e File in the menu and select Income Tax Returns.
Step 3: Choose the option View Form 26AS.
Step 4: Read the disclaimer and click Confirm to continue.
Step 5: You will be redirected to the TRACES portal.
Step 6: Accept the terms and select View Tax Credit (Form 26AS).
Step 7: Choose the assessment year and view the form in HTML format.
How Can I Download Form 26AS?
To download Form 26AS, log in to the Income Tax e-filing portal and navigate to e-File → Income Tax Returns → View Form 26AS. After being redirected to the TRACES portal, select the assessment year and choose the download option. The form can be downloaded in PDF or text format for offline access and record keeping.
What Is the Password to Open a 26AS Text File?
When Form 26AS is downloaded in text or ZIP format from the TRACES portal, the file is password-protected for security. The password is based on the taxpayer’s date of birth or date of incorporation.
The password to open the 26AS text file is your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format.
For example, if a taxpayer’s date of birth is 22 September 1992, the password will be:
22091992
After entering this password, the text file can be opened and viewed or converted into other formats, such as Excel, for easier analysis of the tax credit statement.
What is the “status of booking” in Form 26AS?
The status of booking in Form 26AS shows whether the Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) or Tax Collected at Source (TCS) reported by the deductor has been correctly processed and credited to the taxpayer. Common status codes include F (Final), P (Provisional), and U (Unmatched), which indicate the processing stage of the tax credit.
What does “status of booking O” in Form 26AS mean?
The status of booking “O” (Overbooked) in Form 26AS means the TDS amount reported by the deductor is higher than the amount actually deposited with the government. This creates a mismatch, and the full tax credit will not be available until the deductor corrects the TDS return and updates the records with the Income Tax Department.
What are the Benefits of Form 26AS?
Form 26AS helps taxpayers in multiple ways-
- Track high-value financial transactions: The form includes details of certain specified financial transactions reported to the Income Tax Department, such as property purchases, mutual fund investments, and other large financial activities.
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- Avoid income tax notices: Checking Form 26AS before filing a return helps taxpayers ensure that the income and tax credits reported in the return match the records available with the tax department.
- Support financial verification: Financial institutions may review Form 26AS while evaluating loan or credit applications because it provides an official record of tax deductions and financial activity linked to the taxpayer’s PAN.
Tax professionals often recommend checking Form 26AS before submitting an ITR to ensure all tax credits are properly accounted for.
How to Manage Tax Credit Mismatch in Form 26AS?
A tax credit mismatch happens when the tax details reported in your Income Tax Return (ITR) do not match the information available in Form 26AS or AIS. This usually occurs due to incorrect TDS reporting, missing challans, or errors while filing the return. Checking and resolving such mismatches before or after filing the return helps taxpayers avoid notices from the Income Tax Department.
How to View Tax Credit Mismatch
Taxpayers can identify mismatches by checking the tax information reported on the Income Tax portal and comparing it with their financial documents.
- Check Form 26AS or AIS: Log in to the Income Tax e-filing portal and view Form 26AS or AIS to review details of TDS, TCS, advance tax, and other reported financial transactions.
- Use the tax credit mismatch option: On the portal, go to Services → Tax Credit Mismatch, select the relevant assessment year, and submit the request to view discrepancies.
- Compare financial records: Reconcile the tax details shown in Form 26AS with documents such as Form 16, Form 16A, and bank statements to identify missing or incorrect tax entries.
How to Rectify Tax Credit Mismatch
Once the mismatch is identified, taxpayers can resolve it by taking corrective steps depending on the reason for the discrepancy.
- Request deductor to revise TDS return: If the mismatch is due to incorrect TDS details reported by the employer or deductor, request them to file a revised TDS return with the correct information.
- File a revised income tax return: If the mistake occurred while filing the ITR, taxpayers can file a revised return to correct the reported tax details.
- Submit a rectification request: If an intimation under Section 143(1) has already been issued, taxpayers can file a rectification request through the e-filing portal.
- Respond through the compliance portal: If the Income Tax Department raises a mismatch notice, the taxpayer can respond through the compliance portal and complete the e-verification process.
- File an updated return if required: In certain cases, taxpayers may need to file an updated income tax return to correct previously reported information.
Reviewing Form 26AS and resolving mismatches early helps ensure that tax credits are correctly reflected and income tax returns are filed accurately.
Form 26AS vs AIS: Key Differences
| Basis | Form 26AS | Annual Information Statement (AIS) |
| Purpose | Shows tax credits linked to your PAN | Shows a detailed record of financial transactions |
| Scope of information | Mainly includes TDS, TCS, advance tax, and tax refunds | Includes interest income, dividends, securities transactions, and foreign remittances |
| Level of detail | Provides a summary of tax-related data | Provides detailed transaction-wise financial data |
| Correction process | Errors must be corrected by the deductor through revised TDS returns | Taxpayers can submit feedback online to report incorrect information |
| Usage in tax filing | Primarily used to verify tax credits before filing ITR | Helps cross-check income and financial transactions |
Disclaimer– The rankings and figures in this article have been compiled from multiple verified reports, credible news sources, and public financial data available as of 2026.
All values are approximate and may vary with newer updates, revisions, or changes in official records.
Forma 26AS – FAQs
You can get Form 26AS by logging in to the Income Tax e filing portal, then navigating to e File → Income Tax Returns → View Form 26AS, which redirects you to the TRACES portal. It can also be accessed through the net banking facility of authorised banks linked with your PAN.
No, Form 16 and Form 26AS are different documents. Form 16 is a TDS certificate issued by an employer for salary income, while Form 26AS is a government issued tax credit statement that shows taxes deducted and deposited by all deductors against your PAN.
TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) refers to the tax amount deducted from payments such as salary, interest, or rent before the payment is made. Form 26AS is the official record that shows all TDS amounts deposited with the government under your PAN.
Form 26AS continues to remain an important tax credit statement used for verifying TDS and tax payments, while newer tools such as AIS (Annual Information Statement) and TIS provide more detailed financial information. These systems together improve transparency in tax reporting.
No, Form 26AS alone is not sufficient for filing income tax returns because it does not show salary breakup, exemptions, or deductions. Taxpayers usually use it along with Form 16, AIS, and other income documents when preparing their ITR.
No, TRACES and Form 26AS are not the same. TRACES (TDS Reconciliation Analysis and Correction Enabling System) is the portal used to manage TDS records, while Form 26AS is the tax credit statement that taxpayers view or download from the system.
The importance of Form 26AS lies in providing a consolidated tax credit statement for a financial year linked to a taxpayer’s PAN. It helps verify TDS, TCS, and tax payments before filing an income tax return to avoid mismatches or notices.
