AIS · Form 26AS · ITR Filing · Tax Credits · FY 2026-27
AIS vs Form 26AS: What's the Difference?
If you're filing your Income Tax Return, you've probably come across two important documents: Annual Information Statement (AIS) and Form 26AS . Many taxpayers assume they are the same, but they serve different purposes.
TL;DR — The 60-second version
You're filing your ITR. You download AIS and Form 26AS. They don't match. Income is higher in AIS than Form 26AS. TDS appears in one but not the other. You're confused: Which one is correct? Should you report what AIS shows or what Form 26AS shows? Most taxpayers assume they're the same document and use them interchangeably. This causes mismatches with the Income Tax Department and triggers notices. They're not the same — they serve different purposes.
Understand: AIS is your complete financial picture (income, transactions, TDS, refunds, everything). Form 26AS is only tax credits (TDS, TCS, advance tax). Use AIS to identify all income to report. Use Form 26AS to verify tax already paid. Cross-check both against your bank statements, Form 16, and broker reports. If AIS shows income not in Form 26AS, report it in your ITR. If Form 26AS shows TDS not matching your records, investigate before claiming the credit.
We download and reconcile both AIS and Form 26AS against your actual records (bank statements, Form 16, investment statements, broker reports). We identify mismatches, resolve them, and ensure your ITR reports complete and accurate income with correct tax credits. Talk to a TaxSavvy CA before filing — don't let AIS-26AS confusion derail your return.
Stage 01Fact of the Case
Priya downloaded her AIS for FY 2025-26 and was shocked. It showed ₹16 lakhs salary income, but her actual salary was ₹15 lakhs. It also showed dividends of ₹50,000 she didn't receive. When she downloaded Form 26AS, it showed only TDS of ₹1 lakh (no mention of the salary, dividends, or interest from her FD). She was confused: Is AIS my actual income? Do I report what Form 26AS shows? Why are they different? She called her colleague who said, "Just use Form 26AS — it's the official tax document." But Priya's CA said, "AIS is more comprehensive; use that." Neither explanation was fully correct. Both documents are official, but they serve different purposes. Priya needed clarity on what each document contains, why they differ, and how to use both correctly when filing her ITR.
Stage 02Applicable Laws & Provisions
Section 285BB (introduced via new Income-tax Act, 2025)
Annual Information Statement (AIS) — Comprehensive Financial View
The Income Tax Department publishes AIS to provide taxpayers with a comprehensive view of their financial transactions reported by third parties (employers, banks, brokers, etc.). AIS includes salary, interest, dividends, capital gains, property transactions, foreign remittances, TDS, TCS, refunds, and more. The purpose of AIS is to help taxpayers identify all reportable income and reconcile it against their own records before filing ITR. AIS is not a demand notice — it's informational.
Section 143(1) (via Form 26AS)
Tax Credit Statement (Form 26AS) — Tax Deductions and Payments
Form 26AS is a Tax Credit Statement showing taxes deducted or collected on the taxpayer's PAN. It includes TDS deducted by employers (salary), banks (interest), brokers (capital gains), and other deductors; TCS collected by sellers; advance tax paid; self-assessment tax paid; and refunds issued. Form 26AS is narrower in scope than AIS — it focuses specifically on tax-related transactions, not all financial transactions.
Section 139(1) + Schedule TDS
Matching TDS with ITR — Verification of Tax Credits
When filing your ITR, you claim credit for TDS shown in Form 26AS. The Income Tax Department matches your claimed TDS against what they have recorded from deductors (employers, banks, etc.). If your ITR TDS claim doesn't match Form 26AS or the department's records, it triggers a mismatch notice. Verifying Form 26AS before claiming TDS credit in your ITR is critical.
AIS Feedback & Rectification
AIS Feedback Portal — Correcting Incorrect Information
If AIS contains incorrect or duplicate information (e.g., salary reported twice, dividend shown that you didn't receive), you can submit feedback through the AIS portal on incometaxindia.gov.in. The Income Tax Department investigates and corrects the information if valid. This protects you from being assessed on income you didn't actually earn. Feedback should be submitted before filing ITR to ensure clean reconciliation.
Stage 03Mapping Laws to the Case
Here's where AIS and Form 26AS differ, why they conflict, and how to resolve each type of mismatch.
| Fact | Section | Impact | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIS shows salary ₹16L, but Form 16 shows ₹15L | Section 192 | AIS over-reported by employer; if you report ₹16L in ITR, you're over-declaring | Check Form 16 against AIS; if mismatch, file AIS feedback to correct employer's reporting |
| AIS shows dividend ₹50K but you never received it | Section 10(35) | False income reported against your PAN; if not corrected, you face demand on ₹50K | Check dividend statements from MF company; if error, file AIS feedback immediately |
| Form 26AS shows TDS ₹1L but Form 16 shows ₹1.1L | Section 143(1) | TDS mismatch; if you claim ₹1.1L in ITR but 26AS shows ₹1L, notice will follow | Reconcile Form 16 vs. 26AS; contact employer to verify which is correct before filing |
| AIS includes capital gains ₹2L, Form 26AS shows TCS ₹10K | TCS on Capital Gains | TCS (Tax Collected at Source) by broker; must be claimed as credit in ITR | Report capital gain from broker statement; claim TCS credit from Form 26AS |
| AIS blank on certain income (e.g., rental income, freelance fees not reported by anyone) | No TDS/TCS | Income is your responsibility to report even if it doesn't appear in AIS | Don't assume AIS is complete; cross-check bank deposits, invoices, rental agreements |
| Form 26AS shows TDS but you don't have Form 16 | Section 139(1) | TDS credited to your PAN by someone; must verify who deducted it before claiming | Contact potential deductors (employer, bank) to identify the source; request Form 16 or certificate |
| AIS shows property transaction but Form 26AS shows nothing | No TDS on property | Property income (rental) not auto-reported; you must report it in ITR even if AIS shows transaction | Check rental agreement, rent receipts, maintenance costs; report rental income manually |
| You filed ITR claiming TDS from Form 26AS, but department rejects 1000 as duplicate | Section 143(1) + TDS | Two deductors reported same TDS; system detects duplicate; refund reduced | Review Form 26AS carefully for duplicates; file ITR with only actual TDS once |
| AIS and 26AS both blank for a transaction that actually occurred | Manual Reporting | Income not auto-reported by anyone; only you know about it | Report on your own; support with bank statements, invoices, contracts; no third-party document |
⚠️ Additional risk found during mapping
⚠️ The biggest mistake: Assuming AIS is always correct because it's "government data." It's not.
Employers, banks, and brokers make mistakes when reporting. If AIS shows income you didn't earn,
and you don't correct it via feedback, the department may assess you on false income. Similarly,
don't assume Form 26AS is complete — many types of income don't have TDS and won't show in 26AS.
Both documents are useful, but neither is a substitute for your own records and reconciliation.
Stage 04Conclusion
✅ Action Plan — in order
01
Download both AIS and Form 26AS from the Income Tax portal — today, not next week.
Log into incometaxindia.gov.in with your PAN and password. Go to "My Account" and download: (1)
Annual Information Statement (AIS) — shows all financial transactions reported to the department.
(2) Form 26AS — shows only tax credits (TDS, TCS, advance tax, refunds). Download both as PDFs.
Don't procrastinate — download now. You need at least 2-3 weeks to reconcile these before your ITR
due date. Deadline: By August 15.
02
Understand what each document contains — they are NOT the same.
AIS Contains: Salary (Form 16 data from employers), Interest (from banks, brokers), Dividends
(from MF companies, stock exchanges), Capital gains (from brokers), Property transactions (from
registrars), Foreign remittances (from banks), GST turnover (from GSTN), TDS deducted, TCS
collected, Advance tax paid, Self-assessment tax paid, Refunds issued. Form 26AS Contains: TDS
deducted by employers, banks, and other sources. TCS collected by securities sellers. Advance tax
paid. Self-assessment tax paid. Tax refunds. Certain high-value transactions. Form 26AS is a subset
of AIS — it focuses only on tax-related items, not all income or transactions. Deadline: Understand
by August 16.
03
Print or open both AIS and Form 26AS side-by-side for comparison.
Create a spreadsheet with columns: Income Type | AIS Amount | Form 26AS Amount | Actual Record
(from your bank/broker) | Match (Y/N) | Notes. Fill in each category: Salary, Interest, Dividends,
Capital Gains, TDS, Advance Tax, Refunds. You're now creating a master reconciliation table. This
table will guide you through identifying all mismatches and resolving them. Deadline: Complete
table by August 17.
04
Cross-check AIS salary against Form 16 from your employer.
AIS shows salary data from Form 16 filed by your employer. Download your Form 16 from your employer
or payroll portal. Compare: Does AIS salary match Form 16? Does AIS TDS match Form 16 TDS? If yes,
great. If no, you have a discrepancy. Example: AIS shows ₹16L salary, Form 16 shows ₹15L. Which
is correct? Check your payslips. If payslips total ₹15L, then employer made an error on Form 16.
File AIS feedback to correct it. If this discrepancy isn't corrected before you file your ITR, and
you report ₹15L, the department will see a mismatch with AIS (₹16L) and send you a notice. Deadline:
Complete salary reconciliation by August 18.
05
Reconcile interest income: Check bank statements against AIS and Form 26AS.
AIS may show interest earned on FDs, savings accounts, and other bank products. Pull your bank
statements for FY 2025-26 and check: Does AIS interest match your bank statements? Banks report
interest to the Income Tax Department. If your actual interest is ₹30,000 but AIS shows ₹25,000,
either the bank under-reported, or you have interest from another source (credit card, investment).
Identify the gap. Also check Form 26AS: Does it show TDS on this interest? If interest is above
₹40,000 and TDS wasn't deducted by the bank; you may be from a low-income category or non-resident.
Reconcile all three sources. Deadline: By August 19.
06
Compare capital gains: Check broker's Capital Gains Statement against AIS.
If you bought or sold shares/mutual funds, your broker files TCS data with the department. This
feeds into AIS. Pull your broker's Capital Gains Statement (every broker provides one annually).
Compare it against AIS: Do the capital gains match? Is TCS shown correctly? If you sold multiple
times, AIS may show consolidated numbers while your broker statement shows transaction-by-transaction.
Reconcile to understand: Total short-term capital gains (STCG) and long-term capital gains (LTCG)
from AIS, verify against broker statement, and plan how to report in Schedule CG of your ITR.
Deadline: By August 20.
07
Identify missing or unreported income: Check bank deposits against AIS.
AIS is comprehensive but not exhaustive. Some income may not be auto reported by anyone. Examples:
Freelance income (unless client deducted TDS), rental income (unless tenant reported it), gifts
from relatives (not reported by anyone), interest from non-banking sources. Check your bank
statements for deposits that don't appear in AIS. If you received ₹5,00,000 in freelance invoices
but AIS is silent, you must report it anyway based on your own records. AIS not showing income
doesn't make it tax-free. Create a list of missing income and mark it for manual reporting in your
ITR. Deadline: By August 21.
08
Verify Form 26AS TDS against Form 16 and TDS certificates — find duplicates or mismatches.
Form 26AS shows TDS credited to your PAN. Check if this matches Form 16 and any TDS certificates
you have. Example: Form 16 shows TDS ₹1,00,000. Form 26AS also shows ₹1,00,000. ✓ Correct. But if
Form 26AS shows ₹1,10,000 (₹10,000 extra), you have a mismatch. The extra ₹10,000 may be: duplicate
entry by the same employer, TDS from another source (bank, broker), or data entry error. Identify
it. If it's a duplicate, note it so you don't claim the full ₹1,10,000 in your ITR. Contact the
source to verify. Deadline: By August 22.
09
File AIS feedback for any incorrect or duplicate information — don't wait.
If AIS shows income you didn't earn (e.g., dividend you didn't receive), or if there's a duplicate
entry, submit feedback on the AIS portal immediately. Go to incometaxindia.gov.in → My Account →
AIS → Feedback. Explain the error with supporting documents (e.g., "Dividend shown: ₹50,000, but
my MF statement shows ₹0"). The department investigates and corrects the AIS record. This correction
happens before you file your ITR, preventing a notice later. Don't skip this step thinking "I'll
explain it in my ITR." Proactive correction via AIS feedback is cleaner. Deadline: By August 23.
10
Create a final reconciliation summary: What will you report in your ITR?
Based on all your reconciliation, create a summary: (1) Total Income to Report = Salary (reconciled)
+ Interest (reconciled) + Dividends (reconciled) + Capital Gains (reconciled) + Other Income
(manual) = ₹X. (2) Total TDS/TCS to Claim = Form 26AS TDS (verified against Form 16) + Any other
TDS certificates (if not in 26AS) = ₹Y. (3) Refund or Demand = Tax Calculated on ₹X − TDS ₹Y.
This summary is your ITR blueprint. Share it with your CA. Deadline: By August 26.
11
File your ITR using reconciled data — report accurate totals, not AIS numbers directly.
Don't copy-paste AIS totals into your ITR. Use reconciled numbers. Example: AIS shows ₹16L salary
(after you corrected duplicate entry via feedback, your verified salary is ₹15L). Report ₹15L in
your ITR (reconciled figure), not ₹16L (AIS figure). The department will match your ITR against AIS
and Form 26AS automatically. If all three align (after corrections), no notice. If they don't align,
and you can't explain the gap, a notice follows. File using reconciled data. Deadline: By July 31,
2026 (original due date) or extended deadline if applicable.
12
E-verify your ITR and save all reconciliation documents — they're your proof.
After filing, e-verify your ITR within 30 days. Then save: AIS (downloaded), Form 26AS (downloaded),
Form 16 (from employer), Bank statements (all FY 2025-26), Broker statements (if applicable),
Dividend statements (if applicable), AIS feedback submissions (if any), Your reconciliation summary.
These documents are your proof if the department ever questions a discrepancy. Having them organized
and backed up protects you for 7+ years. Deadline: E-Verify within 30 days; save docs indefinitely.
AIS and Form 26AS are both official documents from the Income Tax Department, but they're not interchangeable. AIS is your comprehensive financial picture — use it to identify all reportable income. Form 26AS is your tax-credit summary — use it to verify what you've already paid. Neither is infallible. Employers make mistakes reporting salary. Banks miss interest transactions. Brokers show consolidated numbers. Your job is to reconcile both documents against your own records, identify gaps, correct them via AIS feedback if needed, and file an accurate ITR. This reconciliation takes time, but it's the difference between a clean return and a notice. Most taxpayers skip this step and hope for the best. Don't. Spend a few hours reconciling now, and you'll avoid months of notices and corrections later. The investment pays for itself.
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