New Delhi. The Income Tax Department has already released all the forms from ITR-1 to ITR-7 for the financial year 2024-25 (assessment year 2025-26). To file ITR on the e-filing portal, you must have PAN card, Aadhar card, Form 16, bank account details and other income proofs. Not only this, it is also necessary to have a link of PAN and Aadhaar to file ITR. In some cases, a salaried person can file ITR even without Form 16. You read it right. Income tax return can be filed even without Form 16.
Form 16 is actually a TDS certificate, which is issued by the employer. It contains information about your annual salary, tax deductions and exemptions like section 80C, 80D. But if for some reason you are unable to get Form 16, then do not panic, you have other options to file ITR. Companies do not give Form 16 to those employees whose salary does not come under the purview of tax and whose TDS is not deducted. These employees can file ITR even without this form.
If you do not have Form 16, then you can file ITR with the help of some important documents. Form 26AS is the most important among these. It is a tax credit statement, which contains complete information about the amount of tax deducted from you. Form 26AS contains information about TDS and TCS. It also contains details of the person’s advance tax and high value transactions.
How to download Form 26AS
- Visit the e-file portal https://www.incometax.gov.in/iec/foportal/.
- Here you will see the My Account option. Click on the View Form 26AS link in it.
- After this, select the assessment year in it and click on view time.
- After this click on the download option. The form will be downloaded.
These documents will also be needed
While filing ITR without Form 16, you will need many other documents besides Form 26AS. Salary slip is the most important among these. Especially from the March month’s slip, you can get a complete calculation of your annual income and tax deduction. If you do not have slips, then definitely get the annual income statement from the employer.
Bank statement
The bank statement shows when and how much salary you received, how much interest you received and in which investments the money was invested. If you have earned through rent or freelancing, that will also be visible here.
Proof of investment and tax exemption
To avail exemptions like Section 80C, 80D, HRA, it is important that you have the documents of the investments you have made. Such as PPF, ELSS, insurance premium receipts, home loan statement or rent payment receipt etc.