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Guide · ITR & Compliance

AIS vs Form 26AS — What's the Difference?

What each statement shows, why AIS now drives ITR pre-fill while Form 26AS stays the source for TDS credit, and exactly how to reconcile the two before you file your return.

Written by
TaxClue Income-Tax Desk
Updated
18 August 2026
Reading time
6 min
Questions
16 answered
  • Updated August 2026
  • CA Reviewed
  • Reconcile before filing
Quick Answer

The Annual Information Statement (AIS) is a comprehensive record of your reported income and financial transactions — salary, interest, dividends, mutual-fund and share trades, property deals and other high-value transactions. Form 26AS is a narrower tax-credit statement showing TDS/TCS deducted and advance/self-assessment tax paid. For AY 2026-27, AIS drives ITR pre-fill (through its TIS summary), but TDS credit is claimed from Form 26AS. Reconcile both before filing.

Side by side

AIS vs Form 26AS — Key Differences

Both are free on the income-tax e-filing portal against your PAN login. They overlap on TDS/TCS but differ sharply in scope and purpose.

ParameterAISForm 26AS
Full nameAnnual Information StatementAnnual Tax Credit Statement
Primary purposeFull view of income & transactionsProof of tax credits (TDS/TCS/tax paid)
Data sourceBanks, MFs, registrars, brokers, employers, SFT filersTDS/TCS deductors & tax challans
ScopeWide income, investments, expenditureNarrow mainly tax credits
Feedback optionYes — correct wrong entriesNo direct feedback
Drives ITR pre-fillYes — via TISSupplementary (TDS check)
Claim TDS credit fromNo — use 26AS for creditYes — authoritative
FormatOnline, PDF & JSONPDF / HTML via TRACES

From Tax Year 2026-27 the Income-tax Act, 2025 renames Form 26AS as Form 168 (and AIS becomes primary); for AY 2026-27 filing both still appear as AIS and Form 26AS under the 1961 Act.

The one rule people miss

AIS is comprehensive, but your TDS/TCS credit is claimed on the basis of Form 26AS. If a TDS entry shows in 26AS but not in AIS, you can still claim that credit. Where income figures differ, report the higher, correct amount to avoid a notice.

The wider statement

What Is the Annual Information Statement (AIS)?

The AIS consolidates information reported to the department by third parties under Specified Financial Transactions (SFT) and other reporting rules. It covers:

  • Salary, interest (savings/FD) and dividend income
  • Securities & mutual-fund transactions — purchase and sale
  • Immovable-property purchases and sales
  • Foreign remittances (LRS) and large cash deposits
  • GST turnover and other high-value / SFT reporting
  • TDS/TCS credits (also shown in Form 26AS)

AIS comes with a Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS) — a de-duplicated, processed view that reflects your feedback and is used to pre-fill your ITR. If you disagree with an AIS entry, you can submit feedback and the TIS value updates.

The credit statement

What Is Form 26AS?

Form 26AS is your Annual Tax Credit Statement — historically the primary document to verify tax deducted or collected on your behalf. See our dedicated Form 26AS guide. It typically shows:

PartWhat it shows
Part ITDS details (salary, interest, etc.)
Part IITDS on sale of immovable property (26QB) / rent (26QC)
Part IIITax collected at source (TCS)
Part IV / OthersAdvance tax, self-assessment tax and refunds

Part layout is periodically revised by CBDT; TDS credit reflected here is what you claim in the ITR.

Step by step

How to Access AIS and Form 26AS

  1. 1Log inPAN + password at incometax.gov.in
  2. 2Open AISServices → Annual Information Statement
  3. 3View AIS / TISTwo tabs; expand each category
  4. 4Open 26ASe-File → View Form 26AS (TRACES)
  5. 5DownloadPDF / JSON (AIS) · PDF / HTML (26AS)

AIS & TIS sit together under the AIS menu — view online or download as PDF/JSON. Form 26AS opens via e-File → View Form 26AS, which redirects to the TRACES portal where you pick the Assessment Year and format.

Renaming from Tax Year 2026-27 — don't confuse the years

Under the Income-tax Act, 2025, Form 26AS is being renamed Form 168 and AIS becomes the primary statement — but only from Tax Year 2026-27. For the FY 2025-26 / AY 2026-27 return (original due date 31 July 2026; belated or revised returns up to 31 December 2026), both are still accessed as AIS and Form 26AS under the Income-tax Act, 1961.

Confused by AIS vs 26AS mismatches on your return?

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Before you file

How to Reconcile AIS & 26AS Before Filing ITR

Cross-check both statements against your own records (bank statements, broker/CAMS-KFin reports, Form 16/16A) so your ITR matches what the department already knows. A mismatch is the most common trigger for a tax notice.

  • Match TDS in Form 26AS with Form 16 / 16A
  • Verify interest & dividend income in AIS
  • Check capital gains from share / MF sales in AIS
  • Confirm property (26QB) and rent (26QC) entries
  • Reconcile advance / self-assessment tax paid
  • Claim TDS credit as per Form 26AS
  • Submit AIS feedback for any wrong entry
  • Report the higher, correct income on mismatch

✓You are safe to file if

  • AIS income matches your books and bank data
  • 26AS TDS matches your Form 16 / 16A
  • You have addressed or accepted every AIS entry
  • Advance/self-assessment tax is correctly reflected

!Fix first if

  • AIS shows income you did not earn (submit feedback)
  • TDS in 26AS is missing (ask deductor to revise)
  • AIS and 26AS TDS figures differ
  • A high-value transaction is duplicated in AIS
Correcting errors

How to File Feedback on AIS

  • Open AIS → click the information category, then the specific transaction.
  • Use the Optional / feedback button and pick a type: Information is correct, not fully correct, relates to other PAN/year, duplicate, or denied.
  • Submit — the TIS value updates to reflect your feedback, keeping supporting proof ready.
When TDS shows in one but not the other

If TDS appears in Form 26AS but not in AIS, still claim it — 26AS is authoritative for credit. If it appears in AIS but not 26AS, ask the deductor to file/revise the TDS return so the credit reflects, otherwise the department may not allow it.

Want a CA to reconcile AIS, 26AS and Form 16 and file for you?

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Sources
  1. AIS, TIS & Form 26AS: incometax.gov.in
  2. Form 26AS & TDS credit via TRACES: tdscpc.gov.in
  3. Form 26AS legacy basis: Section 203AA / Rule 31AB, Income-tax Act 1961
  4. Form 26AS → Form 168 renaming: Income-tax Act, 2025 (from Tax Year 2026-27)

Disclaimer: This guide is general information based on the law and notifications in force when it was last updated. It is not professional advice for your case — rates, thresholds and due dates change, so check the current position or speak to our CA team before you act on it.

People also ask

AIS vs Form 26AS — Frequently Asked Questions

Short, direct answers to the 16 questions readers ask most on this topic.

AIS (Annual Information Statement) is a comprehensive record of your reported income and financial transactions — salary, interest, dividends, mutual-fund and share trades, property deals and other high-value transactions. Form 26AS is a narrower tax-credit statement showing TDS/TCS deducted and advance/self-assessment tax paid. AIS drives ITR pre-fill through its TIS summary, while TDS credit is claimed on the basis of Form 26AS.

Yes. Its role is now supplementary for income data, but Form 26AS remains the authoritative source for verifying TDS/TCS credits and advance-tax payments. You claim your TDS credit in the ITR based on Form 26AS. For income and transaction details, AIS is now the primary reference.

AIS shows the raw data as reported by information sources (banks, employers, brokers, etc.). TIS (Taxpayer Information Summary) is the processed, de-duplicated version that accounts for your feedback. TIS values are what the department uses to pre-fill your ITR.

Neither replaces the other for AY 2026-27. Use AIS as the comprehensive picture of your income and high-value transactions, and Form 26AS to confirm and claim your TDS/TCS credit. A correct return reconciles both, so you should check them together before filing.

Both are on the income-tax e-filing portal (incometax.gov.in) using your PAN login. AIS and TIS sit under the AIS menu (Services → Annual Information Statement) and can be downloaded as PDF or JSON. Form 26AS opens via e-File → View Form 26AS, which redirects to the TRACES portal.

Log in to incometax.gov.in, go to Services → Annual Information Statement (AIS), and you will see the AIS and TIS tabs. Click a category to expand transactions, then use the download button to save the AIS as a PDF or JSON file. The PDF is password-protected (PAN in lowercase + date of birth in DDMMYYYY).

Log in to incometax.gov.in, go to e-File → Income Tax Returns → View Form 26AS, and confirm the redirect to TRACES. On TRACES, choose the relevant Assessment Year and format (HTML/PDF/text) and click View/Download. It shows your TDS/TCS credits and tax paid.

Yes. Both statements are provided free of cost on the income-tax e-filing portal against your PAN-based login. There is no charge to view or download AIS, TIS or Form 26AS.

It is not recommended. AIS covers most income data, but you should cross-verify TDS credits with Form 26AS because TDS credit is claimed on the basis of 26AS. If TDS in 26AS differs from AIS, reconcile the two — use the correct figure and claim the credit reflected in 26AS.

Compare both against your own records — bank statements, broker reports and Form 16/16A. For TDS credit, rely on Form 26AS. For income, report the higher, correct amount. If an AIS entry is wrong, submit feedback so the TIS updates; if a 26AS TDS entry is missing, ask the deductor to file or revise the TDS return.

Open the AIS, select the transaction and submit feedback marking it as "Information is denied" or "Information relates to other person/year", providing the correct position. The TIS value will update. Keep supporting documents in case the department raises a query.

Yes. Form 26AS is authoritative for tax credit, so if a valid TDS entry appears in 26AS you can claim that credit in your ITR even if it is not yet reflected in AIS. Keep the related Form 16/16A as proof.

AIS is updated periodically as reporting entities file their statements. Major updates follow the quarterly TDS-return deadlines and the SFT reporting deadline (31 May for the prior financial year). Your feedback also triggers updates in the TIS, so check AIS again close to filing.

From Tax Year 2026-27, the Income-tax Act, 2025 renames Form 26AS as Form 168 and makes AIS the primary comprehensive statement. However, for the return you file for FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27) by 31 July 2026, both are still accessed as AIS and Form 26AS under the Income-tax Act, 1961.

Yes. Filing an ITR consistent with your AIS and Form 26AS reduces mismatch-based notices, which are among the most common. If your reported income is lower than what AIS shows without a valid reason, you may receive a notice — so reconcile and, where an entry is wrong, use the AIS feedback facility.

No. AIS and 26AS report your income, transactions and tax credits; they do not decide your slab. Your tax depends on the regime you choose and the applicable income-tax slabs. Use them to compute income correctly, then apply the new or old regime — you can compare with our income-tax calculator before filing.