What is Form 26AS & Ways to Download Form 26AS

What is Form 26AS?

Form 26AS is also known as the Annual Information Statement (AIS) or Tax Credit Statement. It is a consolidated tax statement issued by the Income Tax Department in India. Form 26 AS provides a summary of all tax-related information against your PAN (Permanent Account Number), such as

• TDS (Tax Deducted at Source)

• TCS (Tax Collected at Source)

• Advance tax

• Self-assessment tax deposited

It helps you verify your tax credits and facilitates the accurate filing of Income Tax Returns (ITRs).

NOTE:

• Form 26AS is accessible from Assessment Year 2009–10 onward.

• Form 26 AS also displays your PAN status as active, inactive, or deleted.

Information Provided in Form 26AS

The list of information available on Form 26AS is mentioned below:

• Contact Details: Mobile number, email address, date of birth/incorporation, and Aadhaar number

• Tax Information: Details of Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) or Tax Collected at Source (TCS)

• Financial Transactions: Information regarding specified financial transactions, such as property and share transactions

• Tax Payments: Details of taxes paid

• Refunds and Demands: Information concerning refunds and demands

• Pending Proceedings: Updates on ongoing proceedings

• Completed Proceedings: Information regarding concluded proceedings

• International Information Exchange: Data received by the Income Tax Department from other countries under treaties or exchange agreements concerning taxpayer income or assets outside India

• Additional Provisions: CBDT's authority to authorize DG Systems or other officers to upload information from other laws, including customs, GST, Benami Law, etc., encompassing actions, orders, or findings such as turnover, import/export data, etc.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Starting June 1, 2020, the new Form 26AS or the updated AIS will cover details like-

• Specific financial activities

• Ongoing and finished assessment processes

• Tax requests

• Reimbursements

• Current data displayed in the format

Parts of Form 26AS

You can understand the different parts of Form 26AS from the list mentioned below:

Part A: Tax Deducted at Source (TDS): Shows TDS deducted from your salary, interest, pension, etc. (includes TAN of deductor and amount deposited).

Part A1: TDS for Form 15G/15H: Details income where no TDS was deducted as you submitted these forms (verifies their status).

Part A2: TDS on Property Sale: Captures TDS deducted by buyers if you sold the property.

Part B: Tax Collected at Source (TCS): Shows TCS deducted on specific transactions.

Part C: Taxes Paid (Other than TDS/TCS): Highlights advance tax or self-assessment tax you paid.

Part D: Refund Details: Shows any income tax refunds you received.

Part E: Specified Financial Transactions (SFT): Lists high-value transactions like property deals.

Part F: TDS on Property/Rent/Payments: Captures TDS deducted on property purchases, rent payments, or contractor/professional payments.

Part G: Shows any discrepancies or errors in your TDS filings.

Part H: Targets taxpayers registered under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act. It reflects a snapshot of your business turnover (sales) reported in your GSTR-3B returns.

How to Download Form 26AS?

There are technically three main ways you can download the form; they are listed below:

• Website for income tax

• Net banking

• TRACES website

Let us learn the steps to download Form 26AS in the sections mentioned below.

Steps to Download Form 26AS through TRACES

1. For Resident Taxpayers:

   Step 1: Register on TRACES at https://tdscpc.gov.in.

   Step 2: Login as "Taxpayer" and click on 'View Tax Credit Statement (Form 26AS).'

   Step 3: Fill in the required details like password and relevant assessment year.

2. For Non-Resident Taxpayers:

   Step 1: Register on the TRACES Portal at https://www.nriservices.tdscpc.gov.in.

   Step 2: Login as "Taxpayer" and click on 'View Tax Credit Statement (Form 26AS).'

   Step 3: Provide necessary details like password and relevant assessment year. Download or View Form 26AS as a PDF/text/excel file or view it as HTML. 

How to Get Form 26AS through Net Banking?

Step 1: You need a PAN card and a net banking account with any authorized banks (*list mentioned below).

Step 2: Ensure your PAN is linked to your net banking account.

Step 3: Access the Tax Credit Statement (Form 26AS) through your net banking account.

Step 4: Remember, this service is free of charge.

List of Authorized Banks to View Form 26AS:

Steps to Download Form 26AS through the Income Tax Website

Step 1: Go to the website https://incometax.gov.in, where taxpayers are registered.

Step 2: Log in using your username and password.

Step 3: Click on the option "Income Tax Returns" under the e-file section.

Step 4: Select "View Form 26AS (Tax Credit)."

Step 5: Provide the necessary details like assessment year and view type.

Step 6: Click on "View" to see the Form 26AS.

NOTE: This service is free of charge. You can access this feature by visiting the income tax department website if you are a registered user.

Transactions Included in New Form 26AS under Statement of Financial Transaction (SFT)

The transactions that will be recorded in the new Form 26AS under the Statement of Financial Transactions (SFT) Code are as follows: 

Benefits of Form 26AS

Form 26AS provides the following key advantages during Income Tax Return filing:

• Easily access all TDS/TCS transactions for the relevant Financial Year in one place.

• Identify transactions where deductions are either not made or made at lower rates.

• View details of taxes paid besides TDS/TCS.

• Access information regarding any refunds due.

• Use the TDS certificate number from Part A2 of Form 26AS to verify Form 16B.

• Quickly check the current status of PAN.

• Identify any TDS defaults associated with all TANs linked to the PAN.

• View details of transactions reported under Statement of Financial Transactions.

• Review turnover details as per GSTR-3B.

Reason for Not Finding Your Tax Credits in Form 26AS?

You may not find your tax – credits in Form 26AS due to any of the following reasons:

• Non-deposit of tax collected by the deductor into a government account.

• Failure of the deductor to file a TDS return.

• Non-filing of the statement of tax deduction along with TDS return.

• Submission of statement of tax deduction with incorrect PAN, not matching yours.

Summing It Up

In conclusion, Form 26AS is a tax statement that provides a comprehensive view of tax-related information such as TDS, TCS, and advance tax deposited against the PAN of a taxpayer. It serves as a crucial document for you to verify your tax liabilities and ensure accurate filing of income tax returns.