Income Tax Form 26AS - How to View Form 26AS?

Introduction

Form 26AS is a tax-related document that provides a comprehensive overview of the tax deducted at source (TDS) and tax collected at source (TCS) for a taxpayer during the year. It is an important document that allows you to track your tax payments and ensure that the correct TDS/TCS has been deducted and deposited with the Income Tax Department. The form also contains details of advance tax payments, self-assessment tax, and refunds. In this article, we will guide you on what Form 26AS is, its benefits, and how to view and download it for the Financial Year 2025-26.

What is Form 26AS?

Form 26AS is a comprehensive tax statement issued by the Income Tax Department that reflects all the tax deductions and tax payments made on your behalf. It helps you track the tax deducted at source (TDS) and tax collected at source (TCS), as well as advance tax and self-assessment tax payments.

Key Points:

1. Purpose: To ensure tax compliance by recording tax credits and deductions against the taxpayer’s PAN (Permanent Account Number).
2. Issued by: Income Tax Department through the TRACES portal (TDS Reconciliation Analysis and Correction Enabling System).
3. Details Included: The form includes TDS/TCS deductions, advance taxes, self-assessment tax payments, and refund status for the taxpayer.

Benefits of Form 26AS

Form 26AS offers several benefits to taxpayers:

1. Transparency: It gives a clear overview of the tax deducted from your income and ensures that the deducted tax is deposited correctly with the Income Tax Department.
2. Tax Credit Verification: It helps you verify if the TDS and TCS amounts deducted by employers, banks, or other parties match the tax payments reflected in your ITR (Income Tax Return).
3. Accurate Filing: By using Form 26AS, you can ensure that you report the correct tax payments when filing your Income Tax Return, reducing the risk of discrepancies.
4. Avoids Double Taxation: You can also check whether the advance tax or self-assessment tax paid is recorded, ensuring no double taxation on the same income.

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Information Available on Form 26AS

Form 26AS contains the following essential information:

Information Type

What it Shows

Part A

Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) Details: Shows tax cut from your salary, interest (from banks/deposits), rental income, professional fees, etc. It lists the name of the person who cut the tax (deductor), their TAN (Tax Deduction Account Number), and the amount of tax deposited.

Part B

Tax Collected at Source (TCS) Details: Shows tax collected by a seller when you made certain purchases. It lists the name of the collector and the collected amount.

Part C

Tax Paid (Other than TDS/TCS): Details of any Advance Tax or Self-Assessment Tax that you have personally paid to the government. This is very important for self-employed individuals or those with other incomes.

Part D

Details of Paid Refund: Shows any income tax refund that you have received during the financial year. This includes the Assessment Year, the amount, and the date of refund.

New Additions to Form 26AS

Form 26AS has been upgraded in recent years to include more detailed information, especially after the Budget 2025 changes. Some important updates are:

• Form 26AS is now shorter: Form 26AS now mainly focuses on your TDS, TCS, Advance Tax, Self-Assessment Tax, and Refund details (Parts A, B, C, D).
• AIS is the main detailed report: All the other detailed financial transactions that were briefly mentioned in the old Form 26AS have been shifted to the Annual Information Statement (AIS).

Structure and Parts of Form 26AS (The Tax Credit Statement)

Form 26AS is a consolidated annual tax statement containing tax-related information linked to a taxpayer's PAN. The core parts showing tax credit are:

Part

Details Covered

Part A

Details of Tax Deducted at Source (TDS): Shows TDS on salary, interest, professional fees, etc., with details for each deductor (name, TAN, amount paid, and TDS amount).

Part A1

Details of Tax Deducted at Source for Form 15G/15H: Shows income on which no TDS was deducted because you submitted Form 15G/15H.

Part A2

Details of TDS on Sale of Immovable Property: Shows 1% TDS deducted by the buyer if you sell a property.

Part B

Details of Tax Collected at Source (TCS): Shows tax collected by sellers on specific transactions (e.g., high-value motor vehicle purchases).

Part C

Details of Tax Paid (Other than TDS or TCS): Shows taxes you paid directly, such as Advance Tax or Self-Assessment Tax.

Part D

Details of Paid Refund: Shows any tax refund issued to you by the Income Tax Department.

How to View and Download Form 26AS

1. Go to the Portal: Visit the official Income Tax e-filing website: https://www.incometax.gov.in

2. Log In: Log in using your PAN/Aadhaar as User ID and your Password.

3. Access Form 26AS: Go to the 'e-File' tab → 'Income Tax Returns' → 'View Form 26AS (Tax Credit)'.

4. Confirm and Redirect: Read the disclaimer, click 'Confirm' to be redirected to the TRACES portal.

5. View and Download: On the TRACES portal:

   • Agree to the usage terms and click 'Proceed'.
   • Click on 'View Tax Credit (Form 26AS)'.
   • Select the Assessment Year and View Type (HTML to view online or PDF to download).
   • Click 'View / Download'.

Note: The PDF password is typically your Date of Birth in DDMMYYYY format.

TDS Certificate (Form 16/16A) and Form 26AS

Form 16 and Form 16A are issued by employers or deductors, respectively, as proof of TDS deducted.

1. Form 16: Issued by the employer to salaried individuals, showing the TDS deducted on salary.
2. Form 16A: Issued for other payments like interest, commission, or rent where TDS is deducted.

Relationship with Form 26AS:

1. Form 26AS shows the TDS deducted on various incomes.
2. Ensure that the TDS details on Form 16 or 16A match the details in Form 26AS for accurate filing.

Things to Verify in TDS Certificate with Form 26AS

When cross-checking Form 16 or Form 16A with Form 26AS, ensure the following:

1. Correct PAN: Ensure that your PAN is correctly mentioned in both forms.
2. Correct TDS Amount: Verify that the TDS deducted as shown in the certificate matches the Form 26AS.
3. Correct Tax Period: Check that the assessment year and financial year match.
4. Employer or Deductor Details: Ensure that the deductor's details (employer, bank, etc.) are correct.

Conclusion

Form 26AS is an essential document that helps taxpayers track their TDS and tax payments. By regularly checking Form 26AS, you can ensure that TDS is properly credited and there are no discrepancies while filing your Income Tax Return (ITR). The form also reflects details about advance tax payments, self-assessment tax, and refunds, making tax filing more transparent and accurate. Form 26AS provides an overview of your tax transactions and ensures that you are not paying excess taxes or missing out on refunds.