AIS vs Form 16 Reconciliation: A Salaried Filer's Pre-ITR Checklist for AY 2026-27
TL;DR
- Form 16 is your employer's certificate of salary paid and TDS deducted, while AIS aggregates salary plus all other income reported by various entities.
- The gross salary in Form 16 Part B should match the salary entry in AIS, but Part A TDS should match Form 26AS, not AIS.
- Common gaps come from job changes mid-year, untaxed allowances, perquisites valuation differences, and stock-based compensation.
- Reconciliation should happen before filing, with corrections done through AIS feedback or employer revision.
- For AY 2026-27 ITR-1 filers, salary mismatch is the single biggest cause of Section 143(1)(a) intimation.
What this means in plain terms
If you are salaried, the centre of your ITR is your salary income. Your employer gives you Form 16 by 15 June every year, with two parts. Part A is the TDS certificate, generated from the quarterly TDS return filed by the employer in Form 24Q. Part B is the income computation showing gross salary, exempt allowances, deductions, taxable salary, and TDS.
AIS pulls the same data from a different angle. It captures salary as reported by the employer through Form 24Q against your PAN, and adds non-salary income like interest, dividend, and capital gains from other sources. So Form 16 and AIS should agree on the salary number. When they do not, it usually means the employer made a mid-year correction that has not flowed through, or you changed jobs and the two employers have not coordinated. This blog walks through the reconciliation steps so you file without surprises.
Where Form 16 and AIS should match
Gross salary
The gross salary in Form 16 Part B should match the salary entry in AIS under the salary section. The number includes basic, HRA, special allowance, LTA, performance bonus, and all other components before exempt deductions.
TDS deducted
The TDS shown in Part A of Form 16 should match the TDS entry in Part A of Form 26AS, deductor by deductor. AIS also shows this TDS but the authoritative source is Form 26AS.
Employer details
The employer TAN, name, and address on Form 16 should match what AIS shows.
Where they can differ
Untaxed allowances
Items like leave travel allowance, gratuity, leave encashment, and pension commutation that are partially exempt may be netted in Form 16 but shown gross in AIS. The difference is the exempt portion.
Mid-year corrections
If your employer revised your bonus or perquisite calculation after Form 16 was issued, the revised value goes into the next TDS return and updates AIS, but Form 16 may not be re-issued.
Job changes
If you changed jobs in FY 2025-26, you have two Form 16s, one from each employer. AIS shows the combined salary, while each Form 16 shows only that employer's portion.
ESOP and RSU
Perquisites from stock-based compensation reported in Form 12BA may appear differently in Form 16 versus AIS, depending on how the employer broke up the value.
Provident fund interest
Recognised PF interest above the Rs. 2.5 lakh employee contribution threshold under Section 10(11) and 10(12) is taxable. Some employers tax it in Form 16, others rely on AIS to surface it.
Step-by-step reconciliation
Step one: gross salary
Open Form 16 Part B and note the gross salary figure. Open AIS Salary section and note the salary entry. Compare. Difference up to Rs. 2,000 is usually rounding.
Step two: TDS
Cross-check Form 16 Part A TDS with Form 26AS Part A. The two should match exactly, since both are sourced from the employer's Form 24Q.
Step three: exempt allowances
Identify exempt HRA, LTA, and other allowances in Form 16. AIS does not break these out, but it shows the same gross. The exempt amounts you self-declare in ITR-1 should be backed by rent receipts, travel bills, and Section 10 documentation.
Step four: deductions
Form 16 Part B shows 80C, 80D, and other deductions claimed through the employer's investment declaration. Validate that they are correctly captured in your ITR.
Step five: non-salary income
Look at AIS sections beyond salary: interest, dividend, mutual funds, securities. These are not in Form 16 and you must add them in your ITR independently.
A real example
Sneha, 31, Rs. 19L CTC, Mumbai, changed jobs in October 2025 and is filing ITR for AY 2026-27.
- Form 16 from first employer (April to September 2025): gross salary Rs. 9,40,000, TDS Rs. 78,000.
- Form 16 from second employer (October 2025 to March 2026): gross salary Rs. 11,20,000, TDS Rs. 1,42,000.
- Total of both Form 16s: gross salary Rs. 20,60,000, TDS Rs. 2,20,000.
- AIS salary section: Rs. 20,60,000 from both employers combined. Matches.
- AIS also shows FD interest Rs. 28,000 and savings interest Rs. 5,100, both not in Form 16.
- Form 26AS TDS: Rs. 2,20,000 across both employers, matches Form 16s.
- Sneha files ITR-1 with consolidated salary Rs. 20,60,000, claims HRA and standard deduction, adds interest income, and claims TDS credit of Rs. 2,20,000. Final tax under new regime is Rs. 1,98,000, refund of Rs. 22,000. CPC processes in 28 days.
What to do this week
- Collect all Form 16s from every employer who paid you in FY 2025-26.
- Pull AIS and Form 26AS from incometax.gov.in for AY 2026-27.
- Compare gross salary in Form 16(s) against the salary section of AIS line by line.
- Compare TDS in Form 16 Part A against Form 26AS Part A.
- Run the 6-step assessment at https://myfinancial.in to see your old-vs-new regime delta, unused deductions, and insurance gap in under 10 minutes.
FAQ
What if Form 16 shows higher salary than AIS?
Trust Form 16 since it is your employer's statement. The gap usually means the employer included an item like notional perquisite that has not yet been reported through TDS return. Report Form 16 salary in ITR.
Form 16 missing — can I still file?
Yes. Use AIS, Form 26AS, and your monthly salary slips to reconstruct. Section 199 read with Rule 37BA allows TDS credit based on the deduction itself, not just the certificate.
What if AIS shows salary from an employer I never worked for?
Use AIS feedback to flag as "information is denied" and follow up with the alleged deductor. This is sometimes a TAN data entry error.
How do I handle multiple Form 16s in ITR-1?
Add up gross salaries from all Form 16s. Standard deduction of Rs. 50,000 (old regime) or Rs. 75,000 (new regime) applies once per taxpayer, not per employer. TDS credits are claimed from each.
Does AIS show perquisites?
AIS shows the perquisite value as part of total salary as reported by the employer in Form 24Q. The breakup of perquisites appears in Form 12BA, which the employer provides separately.
What about ESOPs vested in the year?
The perquisite portion of ESOPs is part of your salary in Form 16, with the breakup in Form 12BA. AIS shows it as part of salary. The post-vesting sale gives capital gain reported in Schedule CG.
What if I have arrears of salary from earlier years?
Arrears are taxed in the year of receipt, but you can claim relief under Section 89(1) by filing Form 10E. The arrears appear in Form 16 of the year of receipt.
Sources
- Form 16 issuance under Section 203 and Rule 31: https://incometaxindia.gov.in/
- Form 24Q filing requirements: https://incometaxindia.gov.in/
- AIS and TIS user guide on salary: https://www.incometax.gov.in/iec/foportal/help/annual-information-statement
- TRACES portal: https://www.tdscpc.gov.in/
- E-filing portal: https://www.incometax.gov.in/iec/foportal/
This is general information, not personalised advice. For your situation, consult a Certified Financial Planner.