Getting ready to file your income tax return this year? For salaried employees, Form 16 is one of the most important documents in making the ITR filing process smooth and error-free. If you’re not fully familiar with it, or you simply want the latest update on the issuance date, this blog will walk you through everything what Form 16 actually is, its key sections, who is eligible, how to download it, and how to use it to file your ITR, along with the other questions people commonly have about it.

What is Form 16 & How Does It Work?

Form 16 is an official Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) certificate that records the salary paid to you during a financial year, along with the exact amount of income tax deducted from that salary and deposited with the government.

For a salaried individual, Form 16 is one of the primary supporting documents for ITR filing, since it works as proof of income. It can also come in handy when embassies or visa authorities ask for financial documentation, as it’s often accepted as one of several supporting papers.

So how does Form 16 actually work?

Form 16 operates under Section 203 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, and is a mandatory TDS certificate that your employer must issue. Under this provision, once your monthly salary crosses the taxable threshold, your employer deducts a portion of it as Tax Deducted at Source. After deducting tax under Section 192, the employer deposits this TDS with the Central Government within the prescribed timeline and issues Form 16 as per Section 203 of the Income-tax Act read with Rule 31 of the Income-tax Rules.

There have also been some structural changes proposed by the Income Tax Department. Under the proposed Income-tax Rules, 2026, Form 16 is expected to eventually be replaced by Form 130. That said, taxpayers should always go by the form applicable for the relevant financial year as notified by the government. For FY 2026-2027, every employer including a former employer, if you’ve switched jobs must issue Form 16 on or before June 15, 2027.

Form 16 Issuance Date, Steps to Download & File ITR img

The Two Sections of Form 16 You Should Know

Form 16 is divided into two parts: Part A and Part B.

Part A

Part A confirms that your employer has correctly deducted TDS from your salary and successfully deposited it with the government. It typically includes four categories of information:

Your details and your employer’s details (name, address, your PAN, and the employer’s TAN)
Duration of your employment during the financial year
A quarter-wise summary of TDS deducted and the dates it was deposited
A unique TDS certificate number, used for tracking purposes during e-filing

Part B

Part B is prepared by your employer and gives a full breakup of your gross salary, exemptions you’re entitled to, your net taxable income, and your final tax liability. This section also covers four broad categories:

Gross salary, including allowances, perks, and incentives
Deductions such as HRA under Section 10(13A) or LTA under Section 10(5)
Any tax-saving investments or expenses you’ve declared under Chapter VI-A (Sections 80C, 80D, 80G) and Section 16
Any other income declared for TDS purposes, along with your total taxable income, final tax calculation, refund due or payable, and relief under Section 89

Why Do You Actually Need Form 16?

For salaried employees in India, Form 16 is the go-to document for filing an accurate Income Tax Return. Beyond that, it also acts as proof of your earnings, confirms the tax already deposited on your behalf, and is frequently used as income proof for loan or visa applications. While it isn’t legally mandatory to file or validate your ITR, it remains one of the simplest and most reliable ways to verify your income.

Common Form 16 Password Formats

Since Form 16 carries sensitive financial data your PAN, address, and salary details employers usually password-protect it to prevent unauthorised access.

Here are the password formats most commonly used, though the exact one may vary by organisation:

PAN + Date of Birth — The most widely used format: the first five characters of your PAN (uppercase or lowercase) followed by your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format. For example, if your PAN is BDKPT7867G and you were born on 23 June 1994, your password could be BDKPT23061994 or bdkpt23061994.

Full PAN — Some employers simply use your complete PAN number.

Date of Birth — Some organisations keep it simple and use your DOB in DDMMYYYY or DD/MM/YYYY format.

Employee ID — Less common, but some employers use your employee ID, sometimes combined with your date of birth.

TAN-Based — These are generally used for organisational purposes rather than for opening an individual’s Form 16 PDF. Two scenarios where this applies:

When employers download the official PDF/text zip files from TRACES for Part A, they need to extract them using their TAN in uppercase (e.g., KOLK67457B), since these files are encrypted by the Income Tax Department.
If you’ve received certificates for non-salary income, you’ll need your employer’s TAN to open the zip file downloaded from TRACES.

Who Actually Receives Form 16?

Any salaried individual whose employer has deducted TDS from their payroll is entitled to receive Form 16. It’s issued specifically where income is treated as salary and tax has been deducted under Section 192. If you’re working as an independent consultant or contractor, you’ll typically receive Form 16A instead, since tax on your income is deducted under different TDS provisions.

Eligibility Criteria for Form 16

Employers must issue Form 16 wherever TDS has been deducted under Section 192. Some employers may also choose to issue a salary certificate even where no tax was deductible.

When Is Form 16 Not Required?

You don’t strictly need a Form 16 if your net taxable income falls below the minimum taxable slab and no TDS was deducted by your employer. It’s also worth noting that Form 16 isn’t mandatory for filing your ITR although it’s the most commonly recommended document, you can still rely on salary slips, Form 26AS, the Annual Information Statement (AIS), Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS), bank statements, and other relevant records if Form 16 isn’t available.

What If Your Employer Doesn’t Issue Form 16?

If your employer hasn’t provided your Form 16, here’s what you can do:

Reach out to your HR or payroll department and formally request it
Calculate your taxable income manually using salary slips, bank statements, and investment proofs
Cross-check your Annual Information Statement (AIS) and Form 26AS to confirm your taxable income and verify that TDS has actually been deposited by your employer

Step-by-Step Guide to Download Form 16

Once you know you’re eligible, here’s how you can actually get your hands on Form 16.

Form 16 is generally issued through your employer’s payroll system or HR portal. You can separately verify the TDS reflected against your PAN through Form 26AS or AIS on the Income Tax e-Filing Portal, though the certificate itself is typically provided by your employer.

There are three simple ways to go about it:

1. Directly From Your Employer

This is the easiest route. Log in to your company’s employee portal, or request it directly from HR via email.

Log in to your company’s payroll or employee portal
Go to the Tax, Payroll, or Salary section
Locate the Form 16 for the relevant financial year
Download and save the PDF

2. Through the Government’s Official TRACES Portal

Visit the TRACES portal
Log in using your credentials (PAN/User ID, password, TAN, and verification code)
Go to the “Download” section
Click on “Requested Downloads”
Select the relevant financial year
Enter your PAN details to raise the request for Form 16
Fill in the required TDS details (total tax deducted or date of deposit)
Click “Submit”
Once processed, click “Download”

Once you’ve downloaded the zipped file, use the official TRACES PDF Generation Utility provided by the Income Tax Department to convert it into a readable PDF.

3. Through the Income Tax e-Filing Portal

If you’re a registered taxpayer, you can also view and download relevant tax documents directly from the e-Filing portal.

Log in to the Income Tax e-Filing Portal
Search for “View Form 26AS” or “Annual Information Statement” using the search bar
Scroll down and navigate through the available options
Access and download the relevant statement from your dashboard

Form 16 vs Form 16A vs Form 16B

Tax documentation can feel overwhelming at first, but breaking it down makes it much simpler. Here’s a quick comparison to help you understand how these three forms differ.

You’ll receive Form 16A from banks, tenants, or clients for non-salary income, such as fixed deposit interest, rental income, or professional fees. A Form 16B, on the other hand, is issued by the buyer of your property, confirming that 1% TDS was deducted and deposited during the sale of an immovable property, using Form 26QB.

Form 16	Form 16A	Form 16B
TDS certificate for salary income	TDS certificate for non-salary income	Tax credit document confirming 1% TDS deducted by a property buyer under Section 194-IA
Issued by your employer	Issued by banks, tenants, or clients	Issued by the property buyer
Covers your salary income	Covers only non-salary income	Issued only for property sale transactions
Issued annually, at the end of the FY	Issued quarterly	Issued for each sale transaction
Issued once income crosses the basic exemption limit	Issued once non-salary income crosses the applicable TDS threshold	Issued when the sale value or Stamp Duty Value is Rs 50 Lakhs or more
Needed for accurate tax credit claims and ITR filing	Needed to claim TDS credit and avoid double taxation	Needed to claim TDS credit while reporting property sale/capital gains
Proof that TDS has been deducted and deposited on salary	Proof of TDS deducted on non-salary income above the threshold	Proof of TDS deduction on the property transaction
TDS calculated per applicable slab rates under Old/New Regime	Varies by the relevant TDS section	1% of the sale amount or Stamp Duty Value, whichever is higher

Steps to File Your ITR Using Form 16

Filing your return using Form 16 is fairly straightforward once you know the steps.

Gather your documents Form 16 (Part A & Part B), Form 26AS, and AIS
Log in to the Income Tax e-Filing Portal using your PAN/Aadhaar and password
Go to the dashboard → e-File → Income Tax Returns → File Income Tax Return
Select the correct Assessment Year and choose “Online” as the filing mode
Pick the applicable ITR form (covered below)
Enter your salary breakup, allowances, and deductions under Sections 10, 80C, 80D, along with your employer’s PAN and TAN
Cross-check Form 16 against Form 26AS to make sure there’s no mismatch in the TDS claimed
Preview your return, check for errors, and re-validate the entries
Complete filing by e-verifying your return using Aadhaar OTP or net banking

Choosing the Right ITR Form

Your applicable ITR form depends on your taxpayer category and the nature of your income sources. Individuals, HUFs, LLPs, companies, and trusts must each pick the form suited to their financial profile.

ITR Form	Applicable To
ITR-1 (Sahaj)	Resident individuals earning up to Rs 50 Lakh from salary/pension, with up to two house properties and limited other income
ITR-2	Individuals/HUFs without business or professional income, but with capital gains, more than two house properties, or foreign assets
ITR-3	Individuals/HUFs earning income from a business or profession
ITR-4 (Sugam)	Resident individuals, HUFs, and firms (excluding LLPs) with income up to Rs 50 Lakh under the Presumptive Taxation Scheme
ITR-5	Partnership firms, LLPs, Association of Persons, and Body of Individuals
ITR-6	Registered companies
ITR-7	Trusts, charities, and institutions filing under Sections 139(4A) to 139(4D)

Things to Keep in Mind While Filing

Choose the correct ITR form an incorrect choice can lead to a “defective” return, delays, or penalties
Compare the Old and New Tax Regimes to see which results in a lower tax outgo for you
Download and review your AIS and Form 26AS from the e-Filing portal, and cross-check your salary, interest income, and TDS entries
Declare all income sources bank interest, dividends, rental income, capital gains, and any foreign income/assets if applicable
Don’t wait until the last day file well before the deadline
E-verify your return within 30 days of submission

Income Tax Update for FY 2026-2027

For FY 2026-2027, the income tax slabs under the New Tax Regime remain unchanged from FY 2025-2026:

Income Slab (Rs Lakhs)	Tax Rate
Up to 4	Nil
4 to 8	5%
8 to 12	10%
12 to 16	15%
16 to 20	20%
20 to 24	25%
Above 24	30%

Under the New Tax Regime, income up to Rs 12 Lakh is effectively tax-free once you factor in the standard deduction of Rs 75,000 for salaried taxpayers. In fact, a gross salary of up to Rs 12.75 Lakh can result in zero tax liability, provided:

You’re a resident individual
Your income is purely from salary
The standard deduction applies
Rebate conditions are satisfied
There’s no excluded income involved

If your net income comes to exactly Rs 12 Lakh, your tax works out to Rs 60,000 but the Section 87A rebate wipes this out entirely, bringing your effective tax liability down to zero.

Here’s how a salaried individual can have a CTC of up to Rs 12.75 Lakh without paying any personal income tax under the New Regime:

Component	Amount	Tax Waived	Details
Basic Exemption Limit	Rs 4 Lakh	—	Exempt from income tax
Section 87A Rebate	Rs 12 Lakh or less	Rs 60,000	Full rebate available to residents
Standard Deduction	—	Rs 75,000	Flat deduction for salaried employees/pensioners
Effective Tax-Free CTC	Rs 12.75 Lakh	Rs 75,000	Zero-tax threshold for salaried individuals

A few other provisions worth noting:

If your taxable income slightly exceeds Rs 12 Lakh, marginal tax relief may apply
Employer contributions to NPS are deductible up to 14% of basic salary under Section 80CCD(2)
The New Regime restricts common deductions like 80C, HRA, and LTA
Surcharge is capped at 25% across all high-income brackets under the New Regime

If you have significant investments and deductions to claim, comparing this against the Old Tax Regime (with its Rs 2.5 Lakh basic exemption and traditional deductions) is worth doing before you decide which one to opt for.

Key Deadlines You Shouldn’t Miss

For FY 2025-2026 (AY 2026-2027), the standard ITR filing deadline for individuals and HUFs not requiring an audit remains July 31, 2026.

For businesses and audited accounts, the deadlines are:

Category	Applicable ITR Form	Due Date (AY 2026-2027)
Non-audit businesses/individuals	ITR-3, ITR-4	August 31, 2026
Accounts requiring audit under Section 44AB	ITR-3, ITR-5, ITR-6	October 31, 2026
Businesses with international/specified domestic transactions	ITR-3, ITR-5, ITR-6	November 30, 2026

What Happens If You Miss the Deadline?

You can still file your return after the primary deadline, though it may attract late fees or interest.

Belated or revised returns for FY 2025-2026 (AY 2026-2027) can be filed up to March 31, 2027
An updated return (Form ITR-U, under Section 139(8A)) allows filing up to 4 years from the end of the relevant AY, along with additional tax outgo
If a tax audit applies to you, the audit report must be filed at least one month before your statutory ITR deadline under Section 44AB

Tax Audit: What You Need to Know

A tax audit is mandatory under Section 44AB if your business turnover exceeds Rs 1 Crore (or Rs 2–10 Crore in specific cases)
The same applies if your professional receipts exceed Rs 50 Lakh
Failing to get your accounts audited or submit the report on time attracts a penalty under Section 271B 0.5% of turnover/gross receipts or Rs 1,50,000, whichever is lower
Under Section 273B, this penalty can be waived if you can demonstrate a “reasonable cause” for the delay or non-compliance

Keep an eye on official updates from the Income Tax Department to stay on top of any last-minute changes.

Let LegalTax Handle Your ITR Filing

Starting a new job and filing your first ITR can feel like a lot to figure out on your own. That’s where Legal Tax comes in from cross-checking your Form 16 against Form 26AS, to picking the right ITR form, to complete end-to-end filing support, our team makes sure your return is accurate, compliant, and filed on time. If your income also involves a business or freelance component, our experts can guide you on related compliances such as GST registration as well.

Get in Touch with LegalTax

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. When will I get Form 16 for FY 2026-2027? Your employer must issue Form 16 by June 15 of the year following the financial year in which your salary was paid and tax deducted. So, for FY 2026-2027, you should receive it by June 15, 2027. Many employers issue it earlier, around mid-May or early June, right after completing their annual TDS filings.

Q2. Will I get a Form 16 if I’m self-employed? No. Form 16 is issued only to salaried employees by their employers under Section 203 of the Income-tax Act, 1961. As a self-employed individual, you manage your own tax filings and won’t receive this specific document.

Q3. How do I check if my employer has deducted TDS if I haven’t received Form 16? You can verify this through Form 26AS or the Annual Information Statement (AIS) on the Income Tax e-Filing Portal both show TDS reported against your PAN. If your employer has deducted TDS under Section 192, they’re required to issue Form 16 within the prescribed time. If you haven’t received it, follow up with your employer directly.

Q4. Can I file my ITR without Form 16? Yes. Form 16 isn’t mandatory for filing your return. You can use salary slips, Form 26AS, AIS, TIS, and other financial records to report your income accurately, and file within the due date if you’re required to or wish to claim a refund.

Q5. What if there’s an error in my Form 16? Contact your employer’s HR or payroll department right away and request a corrected version. In the meantime, you can still file your ITR using accurate figures and supporting documents.

Q6. How do I verify my Form 16 is genuine? Cross-check the TDS figures against your Form 26AS and check the digital signature. It’s also a good idea to download it directly from the TRACES portal and confirm it carries a 7-character alphanumeric unique certificate number in Part A.

Conclusion

Form 16 might look like just another tax document, but it’s really the backbone of a smooth, error-free ITR filing for any salaried employee. Understanding its two parts, knowing when to expect it, being able to download it through multiple channels, and cross-checking it against Form 26AS and AIS puts you in control of your tax filing rather than leaving you to scramble at the last minute. Whether you’re filing for the first time or you’re a seasoned taxpayer, treating Form 16 as your starting point and pairing it with the right ITR form and a close eye on deadlines is the simplest way to stay compliant and avoid penalties or notices down the line.

Of course, tax rules keep evolving every year, and getting even one detail wrong (a mismatched TDS entry, the wrong ITR form, a missed deadline) can cost you time, money, or both. That’s exactly where having an expert in your corner makes a difference.

File Your ITR the Right Way — With LegalTax

Don’t leave your Form 16 review and ITR filing to guesswork. LegalTax provides complete, end-to-end support for income tax return filing from verifying your Form 16 against Form 26AS and AIS, to picking the correct ITR form, to e-verifying your return handled start to finish by our in-house CA and tax experts. If your income also includes business or professional receipts, we can help you stay compliant on that front too, including GST registration and filing.

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Aryan Yadav

I’m Aryan Yadav, passionate about SEO and Digital Marketing with a strong interest in helping businesses grow online. I enjoy learning new strategies, exploring digital trends, and creating ideas that deliver value. I believe in continuous growth, creativity, and building meaningful results through smart work and dedication.

Form 16 : Issuance Date, Steps to Download & File ITR

What is Form 16 & How Does It Work?