2 September 2026 · 6 min read
Begin with Form 16 from every employer you worked for during the year. If you changed jobs, both employers may have allowed the basic exemption and deductions separately, which understates TDS and leaves tax payable at filing.
Next, download Form 26AS, the Annual Information Statement and the Taxpayer Information Summary from the e-filing portal. These carry salary, interest, dividend, rent, securities and property transactions reported by third parties. Anything in them that is missing from your return is a mismatch waiting to be queried.
Then collect the supporting set: bank interest certificates, capital gains statements from your broker and mutual fund registrar, rent receipts and the landlord's PAN where HRA is claimed, home loan interest and principal certificates, insurance and medical premium receipts, and donation receipts with the 80G details.
Two habits reduce trouble later. Reconcile every AIS line item, and where you disagree, submit feedback in the AIS itself rather than silently omitting the entry. And keep the working file — the computation that ties your return to the documents — because if a query comes a year later, that file answers it in minutes.
If your year included a property sale, foreign income or assets, ESOPs, or business income alongside salary, speak to us before filing rather than after.
Official sources
- Income Tax Department — e-Filing portal
- Income Tax Department — which ITR form applies to you
- Income Tax Department — FAQs on the Annual Information Statement (AIS)
Rates, limits and due dates change by notification. Always confirm the current position on the department portal before acting.
This article is general information, not advice for a specific case. Please speak to us before acting on it.
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