ITR Filing 2026: Why Form 16 Is Crucial Before Filing Your Return

As the ITR filing for FY 2025-26 has started, most of the salaried individuals are waiting for Form 16 for accurate income tax filing. Employees need it to verify earnings and tax deductions before 31 June, so employers must issue it by 15 June 2026.

Form 16 is an important document which gives the proof of tax deducted from salary. It is a crucial TDS certificate issued by employers to salaried employees in India.

Form 16 has two parts. Part A includes details of the employer and employee, PAN/TAN information, the amount of TDS deducted from salary, and quarterly records of tax deposited with the Income Tax Department.

Part B contains all the details about the employees’ salary income paid during a financial year, allowances and perquisites received during the financial year, deductions claimed under provisions such as Sections 80C and 80D, taxable income, tax payable, and any eligible rebates or reliefs.

If the employee has changed the job during the financial year, then the employers of both organisations are supposed to issue Form 16 for the period they worked with them.

Employees can access Form 16 from their employer after it is shared with them, as it is not available for direct download by employees from the Income Tax Department or any other source.

The last date for filing income tax returns by individual taxpayers in ITR-1 and ITR-2 is July 31, while for non-audit taxpayers filing ITR-4, the deadline is August 31.

Since employers generally issue Form 16 by June 15, taxpayers get over a month to verify their income and tax details before filing their ITR by the July 31 deadline.