Income tax 2025: Documents you must download before filing your return

As you are set to file your income tax return (ITR) for FY 2025, you are recommended to cross check the details given on key documents which can be downloaded on income tax portal (form 26AS) and provided by employer (form 16).

Cross verifying details in these documents is recommended to avoid entering the wrong info as you file your tax return for FY 2024-25. 

“It is advisable to first download the forms in pdf format from Income Tax Portal. There should not be any mismatch in data as per 26AS and TIS (taxpayer information summary),” says CA Pratibha Goyal, a Delhi based chartered accountant. 

“One should also ensure not to blindly rely on the AIS data. For example, the sale purchase of shares should be matched with the data provided by your broker, and interest on deposits should be matched with what is shown bank interest certificate, and so on,” she adds.

Income Tax: Key documents

Annual Information Statement (AIS): This gives a comprehensive view of information which is displayed in Form 26AS. Taxpayers can share feedback on information displayed in AIS.

It shows reported value as well as modified value (i.e. value after considering taxpayer feedback) under each section (i.e. TDS, SFT, Other information).

Form 26AS: This document includes consolidated Annual Information Statement for the entire year. It entails the details of Tax Deducted at Source (TDS), Tax Collected at Source (TCS), advance tax, self-assessment tax, regular assessment tax deposited apart from the refund received during a year.

It also includes the details of any specified financial transactions (SFT), details of tax deducted on sale of immovable property under section 194 IA (in case of seller of such property), TDS defaults (if any), information relating to demand and refund and information relating to pending and completed proceedings.

Form 16: It works as a proof that the employer has deposited tax deducted at source (TDS) with tax authorities. In other words, it is a TDS certificate issued by an employer to an employee.

If TDS figures do not match

If there is a mismatch in TDS, the taxpayer should intimate the employer for deducting TDS from your income. 

Your employer or deductor is supposed to file a revised TDS return. Also, if there is other tax credit mismatch provided in the Income Tax Return by you, then you may file a revised tax return if you have not received an intimation under section 143(1); or you may file a request for rectification (if you have received an intimation under section 143(1).

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