What is the difference between Form 26AS and AIS in India?

Form 26AS and the Annual Information Statement (AIS) are both tax documents available on the e-Filing portal, but they serve different purposes and contain different data.

Form 26AS (Tax Credit Statement):

• Shows all TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) collected against your PAN
• Includes TDS by employers, banks, mutual fund companies, and other deductors
• Shows advance tax and self-assessment tax payments you have made
• Lists high-value transactions reported under Section 285BA (SFT)
• Available under the TRACES portal or through your e-Filing account
• This is your primary proof that tax has been deducted and deposited with the government

Annual Information Statement (AIS):

• A more comprehensive document introduced in 2021
• Shows all financial transactions reported to the Income Tax Department by various entities
• Includes: salary details, interest income (savings + FD), dividends, mutual fund purchases/sales, property purchases, foreign remittances, cash deposits, credit card payments, and more
• Has a feedback mechanism where you can flag incorrect transactions
• Contains Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS) which shows the aggregated processed values used for pre-filling your ITR

Key differences:

What should you do? Check both before filing. Start with AIS since it is more comprehensive. If any transaction in AIS is incorrect (wrong amount, duplicate entry, or does not belong to you), submit feedback. Unresolved mismatches between your ITR and AIS can trigger notices from the Income Tax Department.