The income tax return filing season for the financial year 2025-26 (assessment year 2026-27) has commenced. Before logging into the income tax portal (incometax.gov.in/iec/foportal/) to file their tax return, taxpayers should keep all necessary documents handy. It is advisable to cross-check information across major documents such as Form 16, Form 26AS, Annual Information Statement (AIS), and interest statements to identify any discrepancies.
Importance of Form 16 for Salaried Taxpayers
For salaried taxpayers, Form 16 is one of the most important documents for ITR filing. It confirms the salary paid, tax deducted, and tax deposited by the employer with the government on the employee’s behalf.
Is Form 16 Mandatory for ITR Filing?
According to Siddharth Deb, Tax Partner at EY India, it is generally preferable to wait for Form 16 as it makes ITR filing quicker, simpler, and less prone to mismatches or rework. However, if Form 16 is not available, taxpayers can still file their return by carefully reconciling salary and tax details using alternative records such as Form 26AS, AIS, and salary documents.
Form 16 has two parts: Part A contains identification and TDS details such as PAN, TAN, and the summary of tax deducted and deposited. Part B provides the salary break-up, exemptions, deductions, and final tax computation. Where applicable, details of perquisites may also be reported separately in Form 12BA.
What to Do If the Employer Has Not Issued Form 16?
Where tax has been deducted from salary, the employer is required to issue Form 16 on or before 15 June 2026 for the financial year 2025-26. Delay in issuing Form 16 may attract a penalty of Rs 500 per day of default for the employer, as per the EY tax expert.
If Form 16 is not received, taxpayers can prepare their ITR using salary slips, bank statements showing salary credits, Form 26AS, and the Annual Information Statement. These records are generally sufficient to compute salary income and verify tax credits before ITR filing.
One area that needs attention is when the tax deducted by the employer is not reflected in Form 26AS or AIS. In such cases, the taxpayer should promptly follow up with HR or payroll for correction. Additionally, if the taxpayer changed jobs during the year, salary from all employers must be considered together to avoid any tax shortfall at the time of ITR filing.
