6 Tax Docs Every Investor Must Keep: Are You?

If you invest in stocks, mutual funds, or FDs, the Income Tax Department can send you a notice years later. Keeping 6 key documents safe ensures your ITR is accurate and you can defend every rupee.

Here's what happened: Form 26AS and the newer AIS/TIS now capture almost every financial transaction linked to your PAN — from FD interest to mutual fund redemptions.. Capital gains from equity, debt funds, and stocks must be reported accurately in ITR; missing contract notes or fund statements leads to mismatches and notices.. The Income Tax Department routinely cross-checks third-party data against filed returns, and discrepancies can trigger scrutiny assessments or penalty demands..

What you should do: Download your AIS and Form 26AS from the income tax portal (incometax.gov.in) every March-end and save a PDF copy for at least 7 years.. Collect and store contract notes from your broker for every equity or F&O trade — these are your only proof of buy/sell price for capital gains calculation.. Request consolidated account statements (CAS) from CAMS or KFintech for all your mutual fund transactions and keep them alongside your ITR acknowledgement..

Pro tip: Your AIS often shows income your employer or bank forgot to report to you — cross-check it before filing to avoid surprise tax demands later.