Understanding Form 16, Form 26AS, and AIS

A plain-language, India-specific guide to the three documents every salaried professional and first-time taxpayer should check before filing an income tax return. Learn how your employer, bank, broker and mutual fund house report your income and tax to the Income Tax Department, and what Form 16, Form 26AS and the Annual Information Statement (AIS) each show. Read Part A and Part B of Form 16 line by line, see how the old and new tax regimes appear in it, and handle a job switch or a missing Form 16. Download and read Form 26AS, trace every TDS, TCS and advance tax credit, and fix missing TDS with the deductor. Use AIS and TIS to spot interest, dividends, share and mutual fund sales and high-value transactions, and submit feedback on wrong entries. Finish by reconciling all three documents against your pre-filled ITR, understanding mismatch notices, and following a case study of one Indian professional doing the full reconciliation.