ITR Filing 2026: Why Form 26AS and AIS Matter

Form 26AS and AIS have gained significance over the years in the preparation of one’s income tax return (ITR).

In the case of salaried individuals, Form 26AS is an important document that ensures that your income tax return (ITR) process goes smoothly. Before submitting the ITR online, it is always better to gather all the important documents.

The date of ITR filing for the fiscal year 2025-26 (assessment year 2026-27) shall be July 31, 2026. Late filing of returns means the returns have been submitted beyond the specified date and may be subject to penalties.

Form 26AS and the Annual Information Statement (AIS) are two such important documents when it comes to the tax filing process. Read here about what Form 26AS is, its importance of it, and its download by salaried taxpayers.

What is Form 26AS?

Form 26AS is a significant form for taxes, which provides the taxpayer with the information about the tax in one place related to their PAN number. This will help the taxpayer to check the tax benefits and compare the information with the Income Tax Department before filing ITR.

The basic idea is that Form 26AS functions like a tax passbook, enabling people to find out if their taxes deducted, collected, or paid are reflected properly in the form.

Understanding Form 26AS

The Form 26AS is inclusive of all the details regarding tax deducted at source from employers, banks and various other organisations, as well as tax collection at source on various transactions. The taxpayers need to ensure that they also check the AIS & TIS.

Going through Form 26AS before filing the ITR makes sure that tax benefits are accurately reported and avoids any discrepancies, which may cause delays in the refund or summons from the Income Tax Department.

Procedure for downloading Form 26AS

This form can be downloaded from the website of Income Tax e-Filing by logging into the website and navigating to e-File, selecting Income Tax Returns, then viewing Form 26AS. The taxpayer would then be taken to the website of TRACES, from where the form can be viewed/downloaded.

The second method of getting Form 26AS is using the net banking facility of selected banks. Prior to filling out an ITR, the taxpayer needs to reconcile his/her details from Form 26AS with AIS, TIS, etc.