What is Form 26AS? Complete Guide to Viewing and Downloading Your Tax Credit Statement

• Form 26AS has 10 parts since FY 2022-23; Part I (regular TDS) and Part IV (property/rent TDS) matter most for salaried filers.
• A mismatch with your TDS certificate usually means the deductor hasn't yet deposited the tax.
• PDF download password: your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format.
• Accessing the form routes through the TRACES portal, not a direct download.
• Also accessible via net banking if your PAN is linked to your bank account.

Form 26AS is a consolidated tax statement issued by the Income Tax Department that shows the details of taxes associated with a taxpayer's PAN. It includes information such as Tax Deducted at Source (TDS), Tax Collected at Source (TCS), advance tax and self-assessment tax payments, as well as high-value financial transactions reported to the tax authorities.

Form 26AS serves as your complete tax credit statement, containing detailed records of all taxes deducted or collected from your income during a financial year. The Income Tax Department generates this statement automatically based on information received from various deductors and collectors. Banks, employers, and other institutions that deduct TDS must file quarterly returns, and these returns feed into your Form 26AS, creating a consolidated view of your tax credits.

The statement helps you verify whether the TDS shown in your salary slips or certificates matches what the government has actually received — this verification step genuinely prevents discrepancies during ITR filing and ensures you get credit for all taxes paid on your behalf.

Form 26AS provides comprehensive tax-related information for accurate ITR filing and verification purposes:

• TDS details: All TDS deducted from salary, interest, professional fees, and other income sources during the year
• TCS information: TCS collected on high-value purchases like foreign travel, luxury cars, or cash transactions above specified limits
• Advance tax and self-assessment payments: All tax payments made directly by you through challan or online banking
• Income tax refund details: Refunds received during the financial year along with interest payments and processing dates
• High-value transaction records: Significant financial transactions — mutual fund purchases, property deals, share transactions — reported by financial institutions
• TDS defaults information: Cases where deductors failed to deposit TDS after deducting it from your income

The Income Tax Department restructured Form 26AS from FY 2022-23 to provide more detailed information across ten distinct parts:

• Part I: Regular TDS on salary, business income, professional fees, interest earnings — the backbone of most taxpayers' Form 26AS
• Part II: TDS for 15G/15H — transactions where no TDS was deducted due to Form 15G/15H submission, common among senior citizens and those below taxable limits
• Part III: Transactions under specific provisions — TDS on payments made in kind, such as cars won in lotteries or foreign trips given as incentives
• Part IV: TDS for property and professional transactions — property sales, rent payments exceeding Rs. 50,000 monthly, contractor payments above Rs. 50 lakh, and virtual digital asset transactions
• Part V and IX: Virtual Digital Asset transactions, covering cryptocurrency and digital asset transactions from both buyer and seller perspectives
• Part VI: TCS collected under various sections, particularly on foreign remittances and high-value cash purchases
• Part VII: Refund details, though comprehensive refund information is now also available in the Annual Information Statement (AIS)
• Part VIII: TDS you deducted when making payments for property purchases, rent, or professional services — your role as a deductor, not deductee
• Part X: TDS/TCS Defaults — cases where deductors failed to deposit collected taxes, requiring follow-up with the defaulting deductor

Which parts actually matter for a typical salaried filer: For most salaried individuals without property transactions or significant investment activity, Part I is where the bulk of relevant information sits. Part IV becomes relevant specifically if you've bought property or pay rent above Rs. 50,000 monthly. The remaining parts are genuinely more niche — Part X in particular is worth checking specifically if you suspect a mismatch, since it directly identifies deductor defaults.

1. Access the e-filing website: Visit the official Income Tax e-filing portal and log in using your PAN or Aadhaar as User ID
2. Navigate to Form 26AS: Click 'e-File' from the top navigation, select 'Income Tax Returns,' then 'View Form 26AS'
3. Accept disclaimer and redirect: Read the disclaimer and click 'Confirm' — the system redirects you to TRACES (TDS Reconciliation Analysis and Correction Enabling System)
4. Access TRACES portal: Select the acceptance checkbox and click 'Proceed'
5. Open Form 26AS: Click 'View Tax Credit (Form 26AS)' at the bottom of the page
6. Select viewing preferences: Choose your Assessment Year, select HTML, PDF, or Text format, and enter the verification code
7. View and download: Click 'View/Download' — PDF downloads automatically; HTML lets you view online with an 'Export PDF' option
8. Save and verify: Save the PDF securely. The password is your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format. Review all sections carefully.

This TRACES redirect step catches many first-time users off guard, since they expect a direct download from the e-filing portal itself — knowing to expect this extra hop in advance saves confusion mid-process.

Many authorised banks provide Form 26AS access through their internet banking platforms, working only when your PAN is properly linked to your bank account. Log into your net banking account, look for a tax-related services or statements section (labelled differently by different banks), and select 'Tax Credit Statement' or 'Form 26AS.' Most banks allow PDF download for record-keeping.

This method offers convenience for regular net banking users, though the e-filing portal provides more comprehensive features and faster updates in most cases compared to bank portals.

Proper verification between TDS certificates and Form 26AS prevents tax filing errors and ensures complete credit for taxes paid:

• Personal details: Confirm your name appears correctly in both documents — minor spelling differences can cause matching issues. Verify PAN numbers match exactly
• Deductor information: Confirm the TAN of the deductor appears correctly in both documents; mismatched TAN often indicates filing errors
• Amount reconciliation: Compare TDS amounts in certificates against Form 26AS entries. Differences might indicate the deductor deducted tax but failed to deposit it
• Timeline verification: Check transaction dates align between certificates and booking dates in Form 26AS
• Missing entries: Look for TDS certificates without corresponding Form 26AS entries — this suggests the deductor hasn't filed required returns or used incorrect PAN details
• Assessment year confirmation: Ensure entries appear under the correct assessment year in both documents

What a mismatch genuinely, usually means: In most cases, a discrepancy between your certificate and Form 26AS reflects a filing delay or clerical error by the deductor — they deducted the tax correctly but haven't yet deposited it or filed their quarterly return, rather than any fraudulent intent. Contact the deductor directly for correction before filing your return, since claiming a credit not yet reflected in Form 26AS can trigger processing issues on your end.

Understanding your tax position through Form 26AS helps demonstrate your income stability to lenders, alongside supporting accurate ITR filing.

Understanding Form 26AS's complete ten-part structure, and specifically what a mismatch against your TDS certificate genuinely means, ensures accurate, confident ITR filing each year. Bajaj Housing Finance offers home loans from 7.25% p.a.* p.a.* with amounts up to Rs. Rs. 15 Crore* and tenures up to 32 years years. Check eligibility today.