TDS, TCS, AIS, Form 26AS and Form 168 · Tax Year 2025-26
What is Form 26AS?
Form 26AS is your annual tax statement for tax years up to 2025-26. It lists the TDS and TCS deducted against your PAN, tax you paid, refunds, and some high-value transactions. It is where your tax credit comes from.
On this page
Form 26AS is the annual tax statement against your PAN for every tax year up to 2025-26. It shows the tax deducted or collected at source (TDS and TCS) from your income, the advance tax and self-assessment tax you paid, and refunds you received. It is the source of the tax credit you claim in your return. From the tax year 2026-27 the same role is played by Form 168.
What is inside Form 26AS
Section | What it shows |
|---|---|
TDS and TCS | Tax deducted or collected by each deductor, with the section and amount |
Taxes paid | Advance tax and self-assessment tax you paid |
Refunds | Refunds you received |
High-value transactions (SFT) | Certain specified financial transactions reported about you |
TDS defaults | Defaults by deductors that affect you |
GST turnover | Turnover reported under GST for your PAN |
The names in the left column are the document types the department's handbook describes. The portal's own part names can differ.
Under the Act it runs on, Form 26AS is the annual tax statement from TRACES. The department's AIS is displayed in Form 26AS format for earlier years, and the AIS has seven container sections including TDS/TCS, SFT, tax payments, demands and refunds.
Why it matters
When you file, the tax already deducted from your salary, bank interest, rent and fees is set against your tax. The amount that counts is the one that appears in your statement. If TDS is missing from the statement, you may not get credit for it. See TDS not showing in Form 26AS or Form 168.
It also affects whether you must file. In TaxCare's rules, a person whose TDS and TCS together reach ₹25,000 (₹50,000 for a senior citizen) must file, even when income is below the exemption limit. See who must file an income tax return.
This threshold is carried forward from the 2025-26 rules and is provisional for the tax year 2026-27.
How to read the TDS part
For each deductor you will see:
- The deductor's name and TAN.
- The section under which tax was deducted, such as salary, interest or professional fees.
- The date and amount of the payment or credit.
- The tax deducted and deposited.
Check that every deductor is one you recognise, and that the total matches your Form 16 and bank interest certificates. The section codes follow the 1961 Act, for example 192 for salary and 194A for interest from deposits. Under the 2025 Act the same items sit in sections 392 and 393, and Form 168 shows a four-digit code on each row.
How to get your Form 26AS
You can download it from the Income Tax portal for the tax year you need. TaxCare fetches it for you after you confirm with an OTP, and shows it with your AIS and TIS. On the Income Tax portal, the dashboard's "View Form 26AS" option takes you to the TRACES site, where the statement is shown.
Timing and gaps
TDS appears in the statement once the deductor files its TDS return and the department processes it. So the last quarter's TDS can show up later. Check again before you file.
Form 26AS vs AIS vs Form 168
| Form 26AS | AIS | Form 168 |
|---|---|---|---|
Tax years | Up to 2025-26 | All years | From 2026-27 |
Purpose | Tax credit | Complete information | Tax credit under the 2025 Act |
Interest, dividend, share sales | Only through tax deducted | Yes | Only through tax deducted |
Feedback on wrong entries | No | Yes | No |
See Form 26AS vs Form 168 and what is the Annual Information Statement.
A checklist before you file
- Download Form 26AS (or Form 168) for the tax year.
- Match each deductor with your Form 16 or bank certificate.
- Check taxes paid against your challans.
- Note any TDS that is in your documents but not in the statement.
- Ask the deductor to correct the TDS return where needed.
- Compare income in the statement with your AIS.
How TaxCare helps
TaxCare fetches Form 26AS for the tax years that use it and Form 168 for those that use that, using the same rule as above. Tax credit is taken from the statement, income is cross-checked across AIS, TIS and the statement, and lines that do not match are flagged before you file. Try the income tax calculator or ask a Tax Expert.
This guide gives general information and is not professional tax advice.
Questions on this topic
What does Form 26AS show?
TDS and TCS credits by deductor and section, taxes you paid, refunds received, certain high-value transactions, TDS defaults and GST turnover.
Is Form 26AS still used?
For tax years up to 2025-26. From the tax year 2026-27, the statement is Form 168.
Do I claim TDS from my Form 16 or from Form 26AS?
The tax credit is taken from Form 26AS (or Form 168). Compare it with your Form 16.
Is Form 26AS the same as AIS?
No. Form 26AS shows tax credit. The AIS shows a wider set of information reported against your PAN.
Ready to file your ITR?
TaxCare fetches your AIS and TDS from the Income Tax portal, checks every figure and files the return that saves you the most. 25% off your first filing.