Definition
Form 26AS
Form 26AS is a consolidated annual tax statement showing all tax deducted, collected and paid against your PAN.
Form 26AS is a government statement, accessible via the income-tax portal, that aggregates the TDS deducted by employers and others, TCS collected, advance and self-assessment tax you paid, and any refunds. It lets you verify that taxes deducted on your behalf have actually reached the government.
Before filing your return, you should reconcile your income and the tax credits you claim against Form 26AS to avoid mismatches that can trigger notices or delay refunds.
Much of the information that was historically in Form 26AS now also feeds the more detailed Annual Information Statement (AIS), which captures a broader range of financial transactions.
Related terms
- Form 16Form 16 is the certificate your employer gives you summarising your salary and the tax deducted at source during the year.
- Annual Information Statement (AIS)The AIS is a comprehensive statement of a taxpayer's financial transactions reported to the tax department, used to help file accurate returns.
- TDSTax Deducted at Source is tax withheld by the payer and deposited with the government on your behalf.
Plain-English explainer from The Dispatch Investors Encyclopedia. General information, not financial advice.