ITR filing FY 2025-26: The tax returns filing season is here and ahead of the July 31, 2026 deadline, taxpayers are compiling important documents that are needed every year to file the income tax return. One such document that is particularly important for salaried taxpayers is Form 16.Apart from Form 16, other important documents that you should keep handy are Form 26AS, Annual Information Statement (AIS), bank account interest earnings, any investment related documents etc.Let’s understand what is Form 16, what does it tell the taxpayer, and where can employees get it from:
What is Form 16 and where do you get it?
For salaried taxpayers, Form 16 is one of the most important documents for income-tax return filing. It is a withholding tax (TDS) certificate issued by the employer that summarises salary paid during the year and the tax deducted and deposited with the government on the employee’s behalf.Form 16 has two parts:
- Part A contains core details such as the employee’s PAN, the employer’s TAN and a quarterly summary of total amount paid and tax deducted and deposited.
- Part B provides the detailed salary break-up, including exemptions, deductions and the final tax computation.
Siddharth Deb, Tax Partner, EY India explains this with an example: If an employee earns Rs 20 lakh in a year, the eligible exemptions and deductions may reduce the taxable income below the gross salary. Part B helps explain this computation, while Part A shows the tax that has already been credited against that income. Together, these details make return filing easier and more accurate.
“Employees generally cannot directly download Form 16 from the income-tax portal or TRACES. The form is generated by the employer through the TRACES system after salary TDS returns are processed and is then shared with employees through the HR portal, payroll system or official email,” Siddharth Deb tells TOI.
What if you have switched jobs?
If an employee has changed jobs during the year, Form 16 may need to be collected from each employer, unless previous salary and TDS details were fully considered by the current employer. “A common error in such cases is that both employers may compute TDS independently without considering the salary paid by the other employer, which can result in a lower overall tax deduction during the year and an additional tax outgo at the time of filing the return,” cautions Siddharth Deb of EY India.“Before filing the return, it is also advisable to cross-check Form 16 with Form 26AS or AIS to ensure that the salary income and the tax credits match. In short, Form 16 helps salaried taxpayers file their returns smoothly and accurately,” he adds.
