Pan Cardholders: Accessing Your 26As Form

Form 26AS is an important annual tax document in India that contains a comprehensive summary of an individual's tax-related details, including tax deducted at source (TDS), tax collected at source (TCS), tax payments, and refunds. It is designed by the Income Tax Department of India and serves as a vital reference for taxpayers, helping to ensure accurate reporting of income by cross-checking the information with the department. The form can be accessed and downloaded through the Income Tax Department's e-filing website, net banking, or the TRACES portal. It is recommended that taxpayers regularly access and view Form 26AS to avoid potential mistakes and ensure compliance with tax regulations.

Using the Income Tax Department's e-filing website

To use the Income Tax Department's e-filing website to get Form 26AS, you must follow these steps:

• Create an account and log into the income tax e-filing website. If you have e-filed before, you might already be registered. Check your email inbox for messages from 'incometax.gov.in' to see if you can find your login details.
• Once logged in, navigate to the 'efile' tab.
• Click on 'Income Tax Returns'.
• From the menu, select 'View Form 26AS'.
• Click on 'Confirm'. This will take you to the TRACES website.
• Now on the Traces' Website, select the checkbox and click on the “Proceed” button.
• Click on “View Tax Credit (Form 26AS)” to view your Form 26AS.
• Select “Assessment Year” and “View As” from the drop-down list.
• If you want to download a PDF file, click “View/ Download” and then “Export as PDF”.

Form 26AS is a crucial document that provides a consolidated record of all tax-related transactions between the taxpayer and the income tax department. It is an important document for tax filing and can be used to verify the contents of the TDS certificate. It includes details of income tax deducted at source (TDS), advance tax, self-assessment tax, and other tax payments made by the taxpayer. It also reflects details of tax credits, such as tax deducted on interest income, tax collected at source (TCS), and refunds received.

Through net banking

To get Form 26AS through net banking, you must have a net banking account with an authorised bank. Banks authorised by the Income Tax Department to show tax credit include:

• Central Bank of India
• City Union Bank Limited
• Indian Overseas Bank
• Jammu & Kashmir Bank Ltd
• Karnataka Bank Limited
• Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited
• Punjab And Sind Bank
• Punjab National Bank
• The Federal Bank Limited
• The Karur Vysya Bank Limited
• Equitas Small Finance Bank
• Axis Bank Limited
• Bank of Maharashtra
• ICICI Bank Limited
• IDBI Bank Limited
• State Bank of India
• The Saraswat Co-operative Bank Limited
• Union Bank of India

Once you have confirmed that your bank is authorised to provide this service, log in to your internet banking account and follow the steps below:

• Click on the 'Tax Credit' option to access Form 26AS. This may be listed under 'My Accounts' or 'e-Filing of Income Tax'.
• Select the relevant assessment year for which you want to view the form.
• You will be redirected to the official Income Tax e-Filing website, where you will need to authorise access to your Form 26AS by entering your PAN and confirming your details.
• Once authorised, you should be able to download or view your Form 26AS.

Form 26AS is a crucial document that provides a comprehensive summary of tax-related details, including TDS, tax payments, and refunds. It is essential for taxpayers to regularly access and view their Form 26AS to ensure compliance with tax regulations and avoid potential mistakes or discrepancies.

Via the TRACES portal

To access Form 26AS through the TRACES (TDS Reconciliation Analysis and Correction Enabling System) portal, follow these steps:

Step 1: Register on the portal using your PAN details.

Step 2: Once registered, log in to 'My account' and select the 'View Tax Credit Statement (Form 26AS)' option.

Step 3: Click on the 'Confirm' option and you will be redirected to the TRACES website.

Step 4: Select the applicable assessment year.

Step 5: Select the desired file format (HTML, text, or PDF) in which you want to download your Form 26AS.

Step 6: Type the verification code and then click on 'View/Download'.

After completing these steps, your Form 26AS will be available in the download section of your system.

Alternatively, you can download Form 26AS by logging into your income tax filing account on the Income Tax Department e-filing website. Once logged in, navigate to the ''e-file' tab, click on 'Income Tax Returns', and select 'View Form 26AS' from the drop-down menu. From there, click on 'Confirm' and you will be redirected to the TRACES website.

Understanding Form 26AS

Form 26AS, also known as the Annual Statement, is a crucial document that consolidates key tax details such as TDS (Tax Deducted at Source), TCS (Tax Collected at Source), tax paid by the taxpayer, and income tax refunds. It acts as a vital reference for taxpayers, helping to ensure accurate reporting of income by cross-checking information with the Income Tax Department. Form 26AS also enables taxpayers to verify if the deductor has accurately filed the TDS statement and if the collected tax has been deposited into the government's account on time.

Understanding the information in Form 26AS

Form 26AS is a tax document in India that contains a detailed overview of an individual's financial activities for a specific year. It serves as proof of income and tax payments and is linked to an individual's PAN number. The form is divided into three parts: Part A, B, and C.

Part A displays details of tax deducted at source (TDS) by each person (deductor) who made a specified kind of payment to the taxpayer. This includes the name and TAN of the deductor, the section under which the deduction was made (e.g. section 192 for salary), the date of payment, the amount paid/credited, and the tax deducted and deposited in the bank.

Part B displays details of tax collected at source (TCS) by the seller of specified goods at the time these goods were sold to the taxpayer. This part includes similar details to Part A, including the seller's information and the tax collected.

Part C displays details of income tax directly paid by the taxpayer, such as advance tax and self-assessment tax, along with the challan through which the tax was deposited in the bank.

In addition to these three parts, Form 26AS also includes personal details such as name, address, and PAN. It is important to verify the information in Form 26AS to ensure accuracy and address any discrepancies before filing tax returns. This includes checking the names of those who deducted taxes, comparing the total amount paid by deductors with income records, ensuring that the deducted tax aligns with income deductions, and confirming that earned income is correctly mentioned.

Form 26AS can be viewed and downloaded through the Income Tax India e-Filing Portal, net banking with authorised banks, or the TRACES portal, especially for NRIs outside of India.

How to rectify errors in Form 26AS

To obtain Form 26AS, you must go to the e-Filing portal of the Income Tax Department of India. Log in with your credentials, select the "My Account" tab, and choose 26AS from the drop-down menu. You will then be directed to the TDS Reconciliation Analysis and Correction Enabling System (TRACES) website, where you can view and download Form 26AS by selecting the relevant assessment year and report format. This form is also available through net banking with authorised banks.

Form 26AS is a crucial document for filing your income tax returns accurately. It contains details of taxes paid and compliance information. It is divided into three parts:

• Part A: Details of tax deducted at source (TDS) by each person (deductor) who made a specified payment to you, including the deductor's name, TAN, tax deducted, date of payment, amount paid/credited, and tax deposited in the bank.
• Part B: Information about tax collected at source (TCS) by the seller of specified goods at the time of sale to you.
• Part C: Details of income tax paid directly by you, such as advance tax or self-assessment tax, along with the challan information.

Now, let's focus on how to rectify errors in Form 26AS:

• Incorrect PAN in the TDS return filed by the deductor: If your PAN is incorrect in the TDS return, you should request the deductor to rectify it using a PAN correction statement in the TDS/TCS statement.
• Incomplete details in the TDS return: If your details are incomplete or missing in the TDS return, you should contact the deductor and request them to furnish a correction statement.
• Incorrect Challan Identification Number (CIN): If the CIN in Part C of Form 26AS does not match the one on the challan counterfoil, you may quote the CIN from Form 26AS in your tax return.
• Incorrect amount of advance/self-assessment tax: Inaccurate amounts reflected in Part C could be due to data entry errors by the bank. You should contact your bank to rectify the amount.
• Incorrect amount of credits in Part A/B: This could be due to wrong data provided by the deductor in the TDS/TCS statement. Request the deductor to rectify the statement using the prescribed correction process.
• No credits in Parts A/B: Reasons for this issue include the deductor not filing the TDS/TCS statement, you not providing your PAN to the deductor, incorrect PAN provided, or errors in quoting your PAN or challan details. To resolve this, request the deductor to file the TDS/TCS statement, rectify the PAN, furnish a correction statement, or take up the issue with the bank to rectify challan details.
• Entries in Form 26AS that do not pertain to you: If there are irrelevant entries, intimate the deductor/collector or your assessing officer, depending on whether it is related to TDS/TCS credit or advance tax/self-assessment tax.
• Negative entries in Form 26AS: Negative entries can occur due to errors in TDS/TCS statements or challan details uploaded by the bank. Once rectified, the original credit entry will be reversed with a debit entry, and a new credit entry will be posted if applicable.
• Incorrect PAN holder details: If the name and address of the PAN holder displayed in Form 26AS are incorrect, you can update these details by submitting a 'Request for a new PAN card or/and changes or correction in PAN data' application. This can be done online or through the TIN-FCs network.

It is important to verify your Form 26AS for inconsistencies and rectify any errors before filing your income tax returns to avoid future complications and potential penalties.

Frequently asked questions