Difference Between Form 15G and Form 15H: Which One Applies to You

Last updated: Sept 2026

Both forms serve the same core purpose, but they aren't interchangeable. The single, deciding factor is your age on the date of submission, not your income level or account type.

• Form 15G: for individuals under 60 years, and Hindu Undivided Families
• Form 15H: for individuals 60 years and above, specifically senior citizens
• Shared purpose: both declare that your total income is below the taxable threshold, preventing TDS deduction
• Key difference beyond age: Form 15H has no minimum income condition; Form 15G requires total income below the basic exemption limit

• Validity: both are valid for 1 financial year, requiring fresh submission each year

  
  

Submit the specific form matching your age bracket, since a bank will reject a mismatched Form 15G and Form 15H submission rather than simply processing it under the other category.

Age is the primary determining factor, but income still matters differently for each form. This is worth understanding precisely, since assuming income alone decides which form applies is a common, avoidable error.

3 specific conditions clarify exactly how age and income interact for each form. The realistic conditions governing each form are:

• Age under 60: only Form 15G is available, and it further requires your total income to fall below the basic exemption limit
• Age 60 and above: only Form 15H is available, with no additional income ceiling condition attached, beyond having nil tax liability overall

• Both forms require your total estimated income for the year to result in nil tax liability, the core shared condition

  
  

A senior citizen with no income ceiling restriction under Form 15H still needs genuinely nil tax liability for the declaration to be valid, not just being over 60.

The income condition specifically is where these two forms diverge most meaningfully beyond the headline age difference, since Form 15H's absence of a separate income ceiling gives senior citizens somewhat more flexibility, provided overall tax liability is still nil.

Four steps confirm eligibility and complete submission correctly.

1. Confirm your age as of the financial year for which you're declaring, since this determines which form applies to you.
2. Estimate your total income for the year, confirming it results in nil tax liability under the applicable conditions.
3. Complete the correct form (15G or 15H) with your PAN, estimated income, and other required details.

4. Submit to each specific bank or institution deducting TDS on your interest income, since submission to one doesn't cover accounts at another institution.

   
   

Submitting only to one bank while holding fixed deposits at multiple institutions is a common oversight, since TDS still applies at any institution where you haven't separately submitted the declaration.

Consider Kamala, a 62-year-old retiree with a household income of Rs. 4.2 lakh a year from pension and fixed deposit interest, holding deposits at 2 different banks.

Because Kamala submitted Form 15H separately at both banks, TDS was correctly prevented at each institution, rather than assuming her Bank A submission automatically covered her Bank B deposits too.

Correctly filed Form 15G or Form 15H declarations, alongside clean income documentation, support a straightforward home loan application. Approval timelines can extend where TDS documentation needs clarification, and minimum income thresholds can differ by city. Check your home loan eligibility with your tax documentation in order.