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Form 16 vs 26AS vs AIS: Reconcile Before You File
These three documents must agree before you file — a mismatch is the most common trigger for an income-tax notice. Here's what each is and how to reconcile them.
before filing, your income and tax-credit figures should match across three documents. if they don't, the department's systems flag it — so reconciling first avoids notices and delays.
Understanding Form 16, 26AS and AIS
What Each Document Is
| document | what it shows |
|---|---|
| form 16 | salary paid and tds deducted by your employer |
| form 26as | all tax credited against your pan — tds, tcs, advance/self-assessment tax |
| ais (annual information statement) | a wider view: salary, interest, dividends, securities & property transactions, and more |
How to Reconcile
- check that the tds in form 16 appears in form 26as;
- match the income in ais against your own records (salary, interest, capital gains);
- flag anything in ais you don't recognise — it can be corrected with feedback;
- use the reconciled figures, not just form 16, when filing.
Common Mismatches
interest income missing from your return but present in ais; tds shown in 26as but not claimed; or a sale of shares/property reported in ais that you didn't include. each can prompt a notice.
We Reconcile It for You
our filing process starts by pulling and reconciling your 26as and ais, so your return matches the department's data from day one.
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