AIS and Form 26AS — How to Reconcile Before Filing ITR (2025-26)

Last verified: April 2026, against the Income Tax Department’s AIS / TIS structure (April 2026 release) and CBDT clarifications on AIS feedback handling.

The Income Tax Department now has visibility into your bank deposits, MF transactions, credit-card spend, property purchases, and dozens of other “specified financial transactions” via two reports: Form 26AS (TDS focus) and AIS (everything else). Filing your ITR without reconciling against both is the single biggest cause of post-filing notices. This guide explains what’s in each, the common mismatches, and how to handle errors before they bite.

26AS vs AIS — what’s the difference

Feature	Form 26AS	AIS
Primary content	TDS deducted, advance tax paid, refund issued	SFT entries (high-value transactions), TDS, capital gains, interest, dividends, etc.
Scope	Tax-related items only	Comprehensive — financial activity beyond tax
Source	TRACES (Centralized Processing Cell of TDS)	Income Tax Department’s compliance portal
Feedback option	No	Yes — you can mark items as “incorrect” or “duplicate”
Where to download	incometax.gov.in → e-File → View Form 26AS	incometax.gov.in → Services → AIS

Both should be downloaded before filing. AIS is more comprehensive; 26AS is simpler to verify.

What’s in Form 26AS

Part A: TDS on salary, interest, professional fees, etc.
Part B: TDS on sale of immovable property (Section 194-IA)
Part C: Tax deducted at source on rent (Section 194-I)
Part D: TDS on various other transactions (commission, dividend, etc.)
Part E: Self-assessment tax / advance tax paid
Part F: Refund issued
Part G: TDS defaults / non-filed quarters by deductor

What’s in AIS

Far more comprehensive — organized into multiple sections:

Section A: General information (PAN, Aadhaar, name, address)
Section B: TDS / TCS information (overlap with 26AS)
Section C: SFT information — bank deposits, credit card spend, MF transactions, share transactions, property registration. See our CC tax notice trap article.
Section D: Payment of taxes (advance, self-assessment, regular assessment)
Section E: Demand / refund
Section F: Other information (foreign remittance under LRS, defective notices, etc.)

The TIS (Taxpayer Information Summary) is a consolidated view of AIS — easier to read for filing. AIS gives line-item detail; TIS gives aggregates per category.

Common AIS mismatches and how to handle them

Mismatch 1: Salary income shown higher in AIS than Form 16

Cause: Employer reported gross salary including non-taxable LTA / HRA. Form 16 shows net taxable; AIS shows aggregate.

Fix: File AIS feedback marking the difference as “Information is correct, but salary should be net of exemptions.” Use Form 16 Part B figures in your ITR.

Mismatch 2: Mutual fund redemption shown twice

Cause: AMC reports the transaction; broker also reports it. Duplicate entries.

Fix: File feedback marking one as “duplicate.” Use the actual capital gain from your broker statement.

Mismatch 3: Bank interest shown when no interest received

Cause: Bank reported gross interest before TDS; or your account was credited but the year ended before payment.

Fix: Check bank statement — if interest was indeed credited, declare it. If not, file feedback marking incorrect.

Mismatch 4: Credit card spend shown for a card you don’t use

Cause: PAN linkage error at issuer; might be a relative’s card with similar name.

Fix: File feedback marking “Information is denied.” Insurer/bank usually corrects within 60 days.

Mismatch 5: Foreign remittance under LRS not reflecting

Cause: Authorised dealer hasn’t filed SFT-010 for the FY yet; AIS lags by 60-90 days post bank reporting.

Fix: No action needed if your declared foreign asset is correct. AIS catches up.

How to file AIS feedback

Login to incometax.gov.in
Services → AIS → “Optional” tab
Click on the SFT entry you want to dispute
Select feedback option:
- Information is correct (default acceptance)
- Information is partially correct (mark sub-component)
- Information is denied (you didn’t make this transaction)
- Information relates to other PAN / year
- Information is duplicate
Add comments for context
Submit. Acknowledgement is generated.

The IT Department processes feedback within 60-90 days. The original entry remains in AIS but with your feedback marker — assessment officers see your explanation when reviewing.

The reconciliation process — step by step

Download both 26AS and AIS in PDF and Excel formats.
Cross-check TDS in both — should match. If not, ask employer/bank to file revised TDS.
Reconcile salary with Form 16 — note any difference.
Reconcile interest income with bank statements — savings account, FDs, recurring deposits.
Reconcile dividends with broker statements — TDS @ 10% above ₹5,000.
Reconcile capital gains with broker capital gains statement — fund-by-fund, share-by-share for STCG/LTCG.
Check SFT entries — bank deposits, credit card spend, MF redemption, property registration.
File feedback on incorrect / duplicate / disputed items before filing ITR.
Verify TDS in ITR matches 26AS. The portal pre-fills from 26AS — but check.

Why this matters — the notice trail

When you file ITR, the IT Department’s data analytics platform (Project Insight) compares your declared income against AIS / 26AS automatically. Mismatches trigger:

Section 142(1) inquiry — preliminary “explain this” letter
Section 143(1) intimation — auto-adjustment if processing finds shortfall
Section 148 reopening — for material mismatches above tolerance

Filing with reconciled data, even if AIS shows a higher figure than your records (with feedback noting why), almost always closes inquiries at the first response.

Linked deep-dives

FAQs

Is AIS replacing Form 26AS?

No — both coexist. AIS is broader; 26AS is the official tax-credit document. Use both in ITR filing.

What if AIS shows higher income than my actual?

File feedback marking the entry as “Information is partially correct” with your actual figure. Declare your actual figure in ITR. The mismatch is recorded with your explanation, reducing notice risk.

How frequently is AIS updated?

Continuously — banks, brokers, and other reporting entities file SFT data quarterly or annually depending on transaction type. AIS reflects within 60-90 days of source reporting.

Can I file ITR if AIS hasn’t fully populated yet?

Yes — but cross-check after AIS updates. If new entries appear post-filing that change your tax position, file revised return.

What’s the TIS — should I download both AIS and TIS?

TIS is a summary of AIS. Most filers can use TIS for ITR data entry; AIS for verification. Both are accessible from the same portal section.

Are mutual fund SIPs reflected in AIS?

Yes — SIP investments and redemptions appear under SFT codes 011 (purchase) and 012 (redemption). For redemptions, AIS shows transaction value; capital gain calculation must be done separately using the broker capital gains statement.

Sources & references

Income Tax Department — AIS / TIS user guide
CBDT Circular No. 2/2022 (introduction of AIS) and 2024 amendments
Rule 114E of the Income Tax Rules — SFT structure

Last verified: April 2026. AIS structure is updated periodically with new SFT codes — we re-verify each filing season.