The Annual Information Statement (AIS) is a comprehensive statement that provides detailed financial information about a taxpayer for a specified financial year. It includes data on income, tax deductions, financial transactions and other relevant information available with the Department.
So, let’s understand AIS in detail: what it covers, how it differs from Form 16 and Form 26AS, and how you can download it.
What is AIS?
AIS provides taxpayers with a comprehensive and consolidated view of their financial data. The AIS helps with voluntary compliance by enabling easier pre-filing of returns, while simultaneously improving transparency and reducing the risk of errors.
As per Section 285BB of the Income Tax Act, read with Rule 114-I of the Income-tax Rules, 1962, the AIS is uploaded by the Principal Director General of Income-tax (Systems) or an authorised authority.
It consolidates a wide range of information of a taxpayer, including TDS and TCS details, specified financial transactions (SFT), tax payments, demand and refund records, pending and completed proceedings, and data received from various government bodies and regulatory authorities.
It also covers information such as returns, foreign remittances, dividend and mutual fund transactions, interest on income tax refunds and details reported by depositories and other reporting entities.
AIS only contains information currently available with the Income Tax Department. However, it may not include all transactions related to a taxpayer. Therefore, taxpayers should review all relevant financial details independently and ensure that complete and accurate information is reported while filing their ITR.
What are the two sections of AIS?
AIS is structured into two main sections that present a detailed view of a taxpayer’s financial data.
Part A – General Information includes basic taxpayer details such as PAN, masked Aadhaar number, name, date of birth or incorporation (for non-individuals), contact information like mobile number and email ID and the registered address.
Part B – Tax and Financial Information section covers various financial transactions. It includes details of tax deducted or collected at source (TDS/TCS), along with related codes, descriptions, and values.
It also covers information reported under Statement of Financial Transactions (SFT) from different entities, tax payments such as advance tax and self-assessment tax, and details of refunds issued or demands raised during the financial year.
Additionally, it includes other reported data like salary-related annexure details, interest on tax refunds, and foreign remittance or currency purchase transactions.
How is AIS different from Form 16 and Form 26AS?
AIS, Form 26AS and Form 16 serve different purposes and provide different levels of financial information to taxpayers.
Form 26AS is a tax credit statement that mainly reflects TDS and TCS details linked to a taxpayer’s PAN. From AY 2023–24 onwards, its scope has been limited largely to tax deducted or collected at source.
is an employer-issued certificate that provides a detailed summary of salary income and the TDS deducted from it. It also includes a breakup of salary components, exemptions, and deductions under Chapter VI-A, and is specific only to employment income.
However, the AIS is a more comprehensive statement that consolidates a wide range of financial information, including interest, dividends, securities transactions and other income-related activities, along with TDS/TCS details.
It also allows taxpayers to review the data and provide feedback, and includes a Transaction Information Summary (TIS) that presents aggregated information from multiple sources.
How to download and view AIS?
Here is the step-by-step guide to download AIS from the e-filing portal.
Step 1: Visit the Income Tax e-filing portal and log in to your account. New users must first complete the registration process.
Step 2: After logging in, go to Services, and click “Annual Information Statement (AIS).”
Step 3: Click on “Proceed” to be redirected to the AIS portal.
Step 4: On the instruction page, you will see key details along with the Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS), which shows category-wise information along with original and revised values used for return pre-filling.
Step 5: Click on the AIS tab. On the next screen, you will see two options: AIS and TIS. Select the relevant financial year from the dropdown and click on the AIS tile.
Step 6: The AIS dashboard will open, showing information in two parts:
- Part A: Basic details such as PAN, Aadhaar (masked), name, DOB, contact details, and address
- Part B: Detailed financial data including TDS/TCS, SFT, tax payments, demand and refund, and other information
Step 7: To download AIS, choose the format: Excel, JSON, or PDF.
- Excel download is available category-wise
- Full AIS can be downloaded in PDF or JSON format
Step 8: If you download the PDF, it will be password-protected. Enter your password as PAN (in lowercase) + Date of Birth/Date of Incorporation (DDMMYYYY).
(Disclaimer: This is only for informational and educational purposes. Please consult a qualified tax expert for the latest tax laws and regulations.)