Form 16 vs 26AS Mismatch: Is Your Refund at Risk?

If the TDS shown in your Form 16 from your employer doesn't match Form 26AS, the tax department may reject your credit, raise a demand notice, or delay your refund. Check both documents before filing your ITR this year.

Here's what happened: Form 16 is issued by your employer showing TDS deducted, but Form 26AS shows what was actually deposited with the government.. If your employer deducted TDS but deposited a lower amount, your Form 26AS shows less credit — and that's what the tax department trusts.. A mismatch triggers an automated tax demand notice or refund hold, even if you filed your ITR correctly with the right numbers..

What you should do: Download your Form 26AS and AIS (Annual Information Statement) from the income tax portal at incometax.gov.in before you start filing.. Cross-check every TDS entry in Part A of your Form 16 against the corresponding row in Form 26AS — amount, TAN of employer, and quarter.. If you spot a mismatch, contact your employer's payroll or accounts team immediately and ask them to file a TDS correction (revised 24Q) before the ITR deadline..

AIS now shows TDS from ALL sources — salary, FD interest, freelance payments. Check it alongside Form 26AS; together they catch mismatches your Form 16 alone never will.