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Understanding Form 26AS |
Q1. What is Form 26AS?
Ans.1Form 26AS is a consolidated tax statement issued under Rule 31 AB of Income Tax Rules to PAN holders. This statement, with respect to a financial year, will include details of:
a) tax deducted at source (TDS);
b) tax collected at source (TCS); and
c) advance tax/self assessment tax/regular assessment tax etc., deposited in the bank by the taxpayers (PAN holders).
Form 26AS will be prepared only with respect to Financial Year 05-06 onwards.
Q2. How is the information in my Form 26AS organized?
Ans.2 The Form 26AS (Annual Tax Statement) is divided into three parts, namely; Part A, B and C as under:
Part A displays details of tax which has been deducted at source (TDS) by each person (deductor) who made a specified kind of payment to you. Details of the deductor (name & TAN) along with details of tax deducted like section under which deduction was made (e.g. section 192 for salary), date on which payment was effected, amount paid/credited, tax deducted from payments and deposited in the bank are included in this part.
Part B displays details of tax collected at source (TCS) by the seller of specified goods at time these goods have been sold to you. Details similar to those displayed in Part A in respect of the seller and the tax collected will also be available.
Part C displays details of income tax directly paid by you (like advance tax, self assessment tax) and details of the challan through which you have deposited this tax in the bank.
Q3. How are the details of TDS/TCS with respect to non-governmental deductors posted in Form 26AS?
Ans.3 Every non-governmental entity that has deducted or collected tax at source is required to deposit the tax to the government account through a bank. Banks will upload this payment-related information to the TIN central system.
These deductors are also required to file a quarterly statement to TIN giving the details of their TDS/TCS.
The TIN central system will match the tax payment-related information in the statement with the tax receipt information from the banks. If both of these match, TIN will create a comprehensive ledger for each PAN holder giving details of the tax deducted/collected on its basis by every deductor who has filed the statement.
Q4. How are the details of TDS/TCS with respect to government deductors posted in Form 26AS?
Ans.4 As in the case of non-governmental deductors, government deductors are required to deduct/collect tax at source and deposit to government account. In this case, however, the tax is transferred to the government account through a book-entry and not deposited through banks.
These deductors are also expected to file the TDS/TCS statement in electronic form to TIN.
As the system for the government account officers to upload the details of TDS/TCS deposit through book entry transfer is under implementation, the TDS/TCS details with respect to government deductors are not posted in Form 26AS at present.
Q5. How are the details of income tax directly deposited in the banks by the taxpayers posted in Part C of Form 26AS?
Ans.5 Whenever you as a tax payer deposit your advance tax/self assessment tax directly to bank, the bank will upload this information to the TIN central system three days after the cheque has been cleared. This information will be posted in Part C of your Form 26AS.
Q6. How is my Form 26AS updated when I pay my Self Assessment/Advance Tax?
Ans.6 Banks upload challan details to TIN on a T+3 basis after the realization of the tax payment cheques.
On the day after the bank uploads the details of self assessment/advance tax to TIN, it will post these details into your Form 26AS.
Q7. How is my Form 26AS updated after my deductor deducts my tax?
Ans.7 As and when TDS/TCS statements furnished by the deductors are uploaded to TIN central system, challan information from the statements and the challan information from bank uploads are matched and Form 26AS is updated. This is a daily activity.
As per the Income Tax Act, the deductors/collectors are required to file their TDS/TCS statements every quarter. This means that within about 15 days of the deductors filing quarterly e-TDS/TCS statement, the TDS/TCS entries will be posted in the tax statement which is available in the TIN website.
Q8. How is Form 26AS useful for me?
Ans.8 The credits available in the tax statement confirm that:
a) the tax deducted/collected by the deductor/collector has been deposited to the account of the government;
b) the deductor/collector has accurately filed the TDS/TCS statement giving details of the tax deducted/collected on your behalf;
c) bank has properly furnished the details of the tax deposited by you.
In future, you will be able to use this consolidated tax statement (Form 26AS) as a proof of tax deducted/collected on your behalf and the tax directly paid by you along with your income tax return, after the need for submission of TDS/TCS certificates and tax payment challans along with income tax returns has been dispensed with by the Income Tax Department (ITD).
However, as of now for claiming the credit for tax deducted/collected at source you may be required to enclose TDS/TCS certificates (Form 16/16A) issued to you by the deductor.
Q9. What happens if my PAN is not correctly provided in the TDS/TCS statement filed by my deductor?
Ans.9 In such cases the details of TDS/TCS cannot be posted into your Form 26AS. Therefore it is important to provide your PAN to all the entities who deduct/collect tax on your behalf.
Q10. What happens if I have not given my PAN in the tax payment challan used for depositing my advance/self assessment tax?
Ans.10 In such cases, the tax payment details will not be posted in Form 26AS. Therefore, it is important for you to correctly state your PAN in your tax payment challans.
Q11. What is the source of the information like my name and address given in the Form 26AS?
Ans.11 The name and address in the annual tax statement against your PAN is taken from the Income Tax Department (ITD) PAN database.
In case this address in the PAN database available with ITD is not your current address, the annual tax statement which is proposed to be printed and posted to you every year will not reach you.
If you need to update your name and address in the PAN database, you can rectify the same by making an application using the 'Request for new PAN card or/and changes or correction in PAN data'. This request can be made either online or through the existing network of TIN-FCs. Details are available at the TIN website.
Q12. How can any deductor verify the status of the TDS/TCS statements furnished by him?
Ans.12 The deductor can use the TAN view facility available at TIN website to verify both upload and booking status of the TDS/TCS statement uploaded by it.
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