AIS & Form 26AS Explained — What Each Entry Means

Quick answer

Form 26AS mainly shows tax credits in your name: TDS, TCS, advance tax and self-assessment tax. The Annual Information Statement (AIS) is wider and also lists interest, dividends, share and mutual fund sales, property deals, rent and other reported transactions. Before filing your ITR, download both from the e-filing portal, match every entry with your own records, report all genuine income and claim every TDS credit shown.

How to use this AIS and 26AS explainer

The explainer works like a quick reference. It does not need your figures or login details.

1. Open your AIS on the income tax portal for the financial year you are filing.
2. Note the category headings you see, such as "Interest from savings bank", "Sale of securities" or "Rent received".
3. Pick the same entry in "Entry in your AIS". The result tells you what the entry means, where it goes in your ITR and the usual mistake people make with it.
4. Repeat for every category that appears in your AIS, even small ones.
5. Use the matching steps below to reconcile the amounts with your Form 16, bank statements and broker reports before filing.

The full list of entries also appears on this page above, so you can read through all of them once to know what to look for.

AIS, TIS and Form 26AS: three statements, one purpose

All three come from the same information the department receives from banks, employers, brokers, registrars and other reporting entities. They differ in how much they show and how it is presented.

Think of 26AS as the record of taxes already paid for you, and AIS as the department's view of your financial year. Your return should be consistent with both.

Why the department relies on them

When your return is processed, the system compares it with this reported data. If AIS shows income that is missing from your return, or your return claims TDS that is not in 26AS, you can get a proposed adjustment. Matching them yourself before filing is the simplest way to avoid that.

A note on the new Act

The Income-tax Act, 2025 applies from 1 April 2026 (tax year 2026-27 onwards) and renumbers sections. AIS and 26AS for earlier years will continue to quote the familiar section numbers such as 194A or 80TTA, which this explainer uses. The way you read and match the statements stays the same.

How to download AIS and Form 26AS

AIS and TIS

1. Log in to the official income tax e-filing portal with your PAN.
2. Select the AIS option from the main menu and proceed to the compliance portal.
3. Choose the financial year. You will see both the TIS summary and the detailed AIS.
4. Download as PDF, or as JSON or CSV if you want to work in a spreadsheet. The PDF is password protected: the password is your PAN in lowercase followed by your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format.

Form 26AS

1. On the e-filing portal, go to e-File → Income Tax Returns → View Form 26AS.
2. You are taken to the TRACES site. Select the assessment year and view or download the statement.

Remember the year label. AIS uses the financial year (for example FY 2025-26), while 26AS is usually selected by assessment year (AY 2026-27 for the same period).

Reading AIS correctly

AIS is arranged in two main parts. Part A has your general details: PAN, masked Aadhaar, name, date of birth, mobile number, e-mail and address. Check these first, because wrong contact details mean you may miss notices.

Part B holds the actual information, grouped into TDS and TCS details, specified financial transactions reported by banks and other entities, taxes paid, refunds and demands, and other information. Each entry shows the source (who reported it), the amount and often the date.

Where the information comes from

Every AIS entry names its source. Knowing who reported an item tells you whom to contact if it is wrong.

• Employers and other deductors report salary, fees, rent, commission and the TDS on them through quarterly TDS returns.
• Banks and post offices report interest, large cash deposits and certain card payments.
• Companies and mutual funds report dividends, and registrars and depositories report sales of shares and units.
• Sub-registrars report property purchases and sales above the reporting limit.
• GST records provide the turnover you declared in GST returns.

Reported, processed and accepted values

In TIS you will see more than one value for each category:

• Reported value is the total exactly as sources reported it.
• Processed value is the department's figure after removing obvious duplicates or overlaps.
• Accepted or derived value reflects the feedback you have given.

If the reported value looks inflated, check the processed value before worrying. Then compare the individual AIS entries with your bank or broker statement.

Sale value is not profit

For shares, mutual funds and property, AIS usually shows the sale value. Your taxable amount is the gain, which needs the purchase cost and dates from your own records. Never copy the sale value as income.

Matching AIS and 26AS with your return: step by step

Do this once a year before filing. It takes an hour or two for most salaried people and saves a lot of trouble later.

1. Collect your documents: every Form 16 and Form 16A, bank interest certificates, broker or registrar capital gains statements, rent agreements and receipts, and challans for any tax you paid yourself.
2. Salary: add up the salary in all Form 16s and compare with the salary entries in AIS. If you changed jobs, both employers must appear.
3. Interest: list savings, FD and RD interest bank by bank. Include interest that is credited to your account even if the FD has not matured, because accrued interest is reported too.
4. Dividends: total the dividends from each company and fund.
5. Capital gains: take the capital gains statement from your broker or registrar, check the sale values agree with AIS, and use the gains, not sale values, in the return.
6. Rent and business receipts: compare with your own records and invoices.
7. Tax credits: check every TDS line in 26AS against Form 16 or 16A, and confirm that advance or self-assessment tax challans appear.
8. Mark differences: for every mismatch, decide whether your records are wrong (then correct your figures) or the reported entry is wrong (then give feedback and keep proof).

A simple reconciliation sheet

Keeping a one-page sheet makes the check faster and gives you a ready answer if a question comes later. A layout like this works for most people:

Save the sheet with the year's AIS PDF. If a 143(1)(a) proposal arrives months later, the explanation is already written.

For business owners and professionals

Beyond personal income, two lines need extra care. First, business receipts reported by your clients' TDS returns: your gross receipts in the return should be at least the total of these entries, because each one is a payment someone made to you. Second, GST turnover: the turnover in your GST returns and the turnover in your ITR should agree, or the difference should have a clear reason such as advances, exempt supplies or timing of invoices. Keep that reason written down with figures.

Once your figures are settled, our refund estimator gives a quick idea of whether the TDS in 26AS is more or less than your tax.

Worked examples

Example 1: small savings interest from two banks

Priya's AIS shows savings bank interest of ₹9,800 from one bank and ₹4,400 from another, total ₹14,200. She had not planned to report it because no TDS was deducted.

• Old regime: deduction under 80TTA up to ₹10,000, so taxable interest = ₹14,200 − ₹10,000 = ₹4,200. In the 20% slab, tax = ₹4,200 × 20% = ₹840, plus 4% cess = ₹873.60.
• New regime: 80TTA is not available, so the full ₹14,200 is added to her income at her slab rate.

Either way, the interest must be shown. Leaving it out is the classic cause of a mismatch notice, even when the tax involved is small.

Example 2: fixed deposit interest with TDS

Rahul, below 60, has FD interest of ₹62,000 from one bank in AIS, and Form 26AS shows TDS of ₹6,200 (10%) by that bank.

• He is in the 30% slab. Tax on the interest = ₹62,000 × 30% = ₹18,600, plus 4% cess = ₹19,344.
• TDS credit already paid = ₹6,200.
• Balance to pay = ₹19,344 − ₹6,200 = ₹13,144, which he pays as self-assessment tax before filing.

A common error is to think the 10% TDS settles the matter. It does not when your slab rate is higher.

Example 3: mutual fund units sold

Kavita's AIS shows sale of equity mutual fund units for ₹6,00,000. Her registrar statement shows she bought them three years earlier for ₹4,80,000.

• Long-term capital gain = ₹6,00,000 − ₹4,80,000 = ₹1,20,000.
• Long-term gains on equity funds are tax-free up to ₹1.25 lakh a year, so tax = nil.
• She still reports the sale and the gain in the capital gains part of her return.

Reporting ₹6,00,000 as income would have been a costly mistake. For other holding periods or assets, use our capital gains calculator.

Example 4: two employers, no extra TDS

Arjun switched jobs mid-year. AIS shows salary of ₹9,60,000 from employer A and ₹6,40,000 from employer B, total ₹16,00,000. He opted for the new regime.

• Each employer gave a ₹75,000 standard deduction and saw income below ₹12 lakh, so each applied the 87A rebate and deducted no TDS.
• Combined, only one standard deduction is allowed: taxable income = ₹16,00,000 − ₹75,000 = ₹15,25,000.
• Tax: ₹20,000 (₹4–8 lakh at 5%) + ₹40,000 (₹8–12 lakh at 10%) + ₹48,750 (₹3.25 lakh at 15%) = ₹1,08,750, plus 4% cess = ₹1,13,100. No rebate, because income is above ₹12 lakh.

AIS makes both salaries visible, so this tax is due whether or not he reports it. Paying it before filing avoids a demand and extra interest.

Example 5: rent received from a company tenant

Neha lets out a flat to a company at ₹60,000 a month. AIS shows rent of ₹7,20,000 for the year, and Form 26AS shows TDS of ₹72,000 (10%) deducted by the tenant.

• Rent for the year = ₹60,000 × 12 = ₹7,20,000.
• Standard deduction of 30% for house property = ₹2,16,000, so income from house property = ₹5,04,000 (before municipal taxes paid by her, which are deducted first if any).
• She reports ₹7,20,000 as rent in the house property schedule and claims ₹72,000 as TDS credit.

Claiming the ₹72,000 credit without showing the rent is exactly the kind of gap the system catches.

Giving feedback when an AIS entry is wrong

AIS lets you respond to each entry. Use it whenever reported information does not match the facts. The usual feedback choices include:

Feedback does not delete the entry. For some categories the department may ask the reporting source to confirm or correct its data. Keep proof, such as bank statements or a letter from the bank, in case the matter comes up again.

How to give feedback, step by step

1. Open AIS for the year and go to the detailed view of the category, for example interest or securities.
2. Find the specific entry and click the option to give feedback on it.
3. Choose the option that fits, enter the correct amount if asked, and add a short remark such as "FD closed in March, interest already reported by branch X".
4. Submit and note the date. Download the updated AIS later to confirm the feedback is shown.

Give feedback before you file if you can, so the pre-filled figures and the processing of your return use the corrected picture.

Wrong TDS in 26AS

Feedback in AIS cannot add TDS that the deductor never reported. If TDS was deducted from your payment but is missing or shown against another PAN, ask the deductor to file or correct their TDS return. Until they do, the credit will not reach your account, and a claim without it will be reduced when your return is processed.

When AIS updates and the best time to file

AIS is not a one-time statement. It keeps updating as reporting entities file their statements during and after the year. TDS returns are filed quarterly, and the return for January to March is due by 31 May, so the last quarter's TDS often appears only in June. Annual information returns from banks and other entities are also due around the same time.

So if you file very early, check AIS again before final submission, and even after filing. If new genuine income appears after you filed, a revised return within the time allowed fixes it cleanly. The ITR form selector helps if a new entry, such as share sales, means you need a different form.

Use AIS during the year, not only at filing time

Checking AIS once or twice during the year helps with advance tax. If you see large interest, dividends or capital gains building up without enough TDS, you can pay advance tax on time instead of facing interest later. It also lets you spot a wrong entry early, while the bank or company can still correct it easily.

Special situations

Joint accounts and joint property

Banks usually report interest against the first holder's PAN. If the money in a joint FD actually belongs to another holder, give feedback and make sure the real owner reports the income. For jointly owned property, each owner reports their share of rent or capital gains.

Income of a spouse or child in your name

Some income, such as interest on money you gifted to your spouse, can be taxable in your hands under clubbing rules even if AIS shows it in their name. AIS does not apply clubbing for you, so think about whose income it legally is.

Interest reported on accrual

Banks may report FD interest every year as it accrues, even for a cumulative FD that pays only at maturity. Reporting it year by year keeps your return in line with AIS and avoids a large lump of interest in the maturity year.

Transactions you do not recognise

An unfamiliar property purchase, large deposit or share trade can indicate a reporting error or misuse of your PAN. Deny the entry with feedback, contact the reporting entity, and keep written records. If you receive a notice about it, our notice decoder explains the type of notice and how to respond.

Form 15G or 15H submitted to the bank

If you gave the bank Form 15G or 15H, it does not deduct TDS on your interest, but it still reports the interest. Form 26AS shows such cases separately. The interest is still income: show it in your return. These forms only stop TDS; they do not make the income exempt.

Non-financial entries

Entries like credit card payments, cash deposits or foreign remittances are not income in themselves. You do not add them to income, but your declared income and savings should reasonably explain them.

Common mistakes with AIS and 26AS

• Relying only on Form 16. Form 16 covers salary from one employer. Interest, dividends, capital gains and a second employer are outside it.
• Trusting the pre-filled return blindly. Pre-filled data comes from the same sources and can be incomplete or duplicated. Check it, do not just accept it.
• Ignoring small amounts. A few hundred rupees of dividend or interest can still trigger a mismatch.
• Claiming TDS without the income. If you claim credit for TDS on FD interest or professional fees, the related income must be in the return too.
• Mixing up years. Interest credited on 2 April belongs to the next financial year. Check dates, not only amounts.
• Not giving feedback on wrong entries. Silently ignoring a wrong entry leaves the mismatch on record and invites questions.
• Checking only before filing. Look again after filing, especially in the months when late TDS returns get filed.
• Forgetting the Form 15G or 15H cases. No TDS does not mean no income; the interest is still in AIS.
• Treating the TIS total as final. TIS is a summary. Open the detailed AIS entries before relying on a category total.

How this connects to filing your ITR

Each AIS category maps to a part of your return: salary to the salary schedule, interest and dividends to income from other sources, rent to house property, receipts to business income, and securities and property to capital gains. TDS and TCS from 26AS go into the tax-paid schedules. If your entries span several of these, the ITR form choice changes too.

The pre-filled return on the portal pulls salary, interest, dividends and TDS from these statements. Use it as a starting point, then correct anything your reconciliation showed to be wrong or missing, such as purchase cost for capital gains, deductions, or an entry you gave feedback on. The return you file is your declaration, not the department's.

After filing, the department processes the return against the same data. If the figures line up, processing is usually smooth and any refund moves faster. If not, expect a proposed adjustment. Our income tax filing service includes this matching as part of preparing the return.

When to take expert help

• AIS shows large items you cannot explain, such as property deals, high cash deposits or foreign remittances.
• Many share or mutual fund transactions, or intraday and F&O trades, need to be reported correctly.
• TDS in 26AS is missing or wrong, and the deductor is not responding.
• You have foreign assets, RSUs or ESOPs that need disclosure even without income.
• You have already filed and AIS now shows something new.

If you go to an expert, share the AIS PDF or JSON, Form 26AS, all Form 16s and 16As, capital gains statements and bank interest certificates for the year. With these, a reconciliation can usually be finished quickly and every difference explained before the return is filed.

Get it checked by an expert

If your AIS looks confusing or does not match your own records, a TaxCaller expert can go through AIS, TIS and Form 26AS line by line, reconcile them with your documents, give feedback on wrong entries and file a return that matches. We tell you the fee upfront before any work starts, and the first call to understand your situation is free. Keep your AIS PDF, Form 16 and bank statements handy when you call.