Definition
Form 26AS / AIS
Form 26AS and the Annual Information Statement are consolidated tax statements showing TDS, TCS, advance tax and reported financial transactions linked to your PAN.
Form 26AS summarises taxes credited against your PAN — TDS deducted by employers and others, TCS collected, and advance/self-assessment tax paid. The Annual Information Statement (AIS) goes further, listing reported financial transactions such as interest, dividends, securities trades and large purchases.
Before filing your return, you should reconcile your income and the taxes in these statements to ensure everything matches and all credits are claimed, avoiding mismatches that trigger notices.
For salaried taxpayers, cross-checking Form 16 against 26AS/AIS confirms the TDS was actually deposited. For freelancers and investors, AIS helps capture all income the department already knows about.
Related terms
- Form 16 (Parts A & B)Form 16 is the TDS certificate your employer issues for salary, with Part A showing tax deducted and deposited, and Part B detailing the salary breakup and deductions.
- Advance Tax for FreelancersAdvance tax is income tax paid in instalments through the year rather than as a lump sum at filing; freelancers must pay it once their annual tax liability crosses a threshold.
- Tax Collected at Source (TCS)Tax Collected at Source is tax that a seller or remitter collects from the buyer at the time of certain transactions, such as foreign remittances, creditable against the payer's tax.
Plain-English explainer from The Dispatch Investors Encyclopedia. General information, not financial advice.