Get your TDS certificate from employer (Form 16) or deductor (Form 16A) issued every June.
Jurisdiction
All of India
Who applies
Salaried employees (Form 16) and non-salary income earners such as contractors, professionals, and investors (Form 16A) whose payers have deducted TDS
Typical time
Same day (download from TRACES after deductor uploads); Form 16 is issued by 15 June each year for the preceding financial year
Fee
Free
| # | Document | Type needed | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PAN Card | Self-attested Copy | Required to request Form 16/16A from the deductor and to verify entries on TRACES |
| 2 | TRACES login credentials (deductee / taxpayer) | Download / Print | Log in to TRACES to view and download Form 16A if the deductor has not provided it |
| 3 | Form 16 (Part A + Part B) from employer | Soft copy (PDF) | Part A shows TDS deducted and deposited by employer; Part B shows detailed salary breakup and deductions for ITR filing |
| 4 | Form 26AS / AIS | Download / Print | Cross-verify TDS entries on Form 16/16A against TDS credits appearing in Form 26AS |
| 5 | Previous employer's Form 16(optional)Only if employment changed during the financial year | Soft copy (PDF) | If changed jobs during the year, collect Form 16 from each employer to report consolidated salary income |
Original documents: Carry originals only for in-person visits — do not hand them over permanently unless explicitly required.
Form 16 is your legal right under Section 203 of the Income Tax Act. Approach your HR or payroll department and formally request Part A and Part B of Form 16 for the relevant financial year. The employer is legally required to issue Form 16 by 15 June every year. Part A is generated directly from TRACES and must carry the TRACES watermark; Part B is prepared by the employer and should be signed by the authorised signatory.
For non-salary TDS (interest from bank, rent from tenant, professional fees), the deductor (bank, tenant, company) must provide Form 16A generated from TRACES. If the deductor has not issued Form 16A, you can check the entries on Form 26AS yourself. Log in to TRACES at tdscpc.gov.in as a taxpayer (deductee), navigate to 'View TDS / TCS Credit', and verify the TDS credited. You can also ask the deductor to share the TRACES-generated Form 16A with TRACES watermark.
After receiving Form 16 (Part A), compare every TDS entry (amount deducted, TAN of deductor, quarter) with the corresponding entries in your Form 26AS or AIS. The TAN, BSR code, and amount must match. Discrepancies occur when the employer deposits TDS late or files TDS returns with errors. If a mismatch exists, immediately request the employer to file a TDS correction statement on TRACES.
Part B of Form 16 is prepared by the employer and contains the salary breakup (basic, HRA, allowances, perquisites) and deductions declared by you (80C, 80D, HRA exemption, LTA, etc.). Verify that all investment proofs you submitted to your employer are correctly reflected. Also check that your income from previous employment (if any) is included in the computation — employers are required to factor in income from previous employers if you disclosed it.
Use the verified Form 16 (Part A and Part B) figures to fill in your ITR. On the e-Filing portal, the salary details from Form 16 are often pre-filled via AIS. Cross-check pre-filled data with Form 16 figures and correct any discrepancies. Enter TDS credits from Form 16 Part A in the TDS schedule of the ITR. Ensure that any TDS deducted by previous employers is also captured by entering their TAN separately.
Employer's Finance / HR Department
Step 1 — Issuance of Form 16
Generates Form 16 Part A from TRACES using the TAN and uploads TDS return; prepares and signs Part B based on declared investments and salary structure.
Directorate of Income Tax (Systems), Ministry of Finance
Step 2–3 — TDS credit verification
Maintains TRACES platform, processes deductor-filed TDS returns, and makes Form 16/16A data available for download by deductors and deductees.
View TDS credits, download Form 16A (as deductee), verify deductor's TDS filing status, and confirm TRACES watermark on Form 16 Part A.
Cross-reference TDS credits from Form 16 against Form 26AS and AIS, and use the verified data to file the ITR.
Employers who fail to issue Form 16 by 15 June attract a penalty of ₹100 per day under Section 272A(2)(g); you can file a complaint with the TDS ward if the employer delays.
Form 16 Part A must be downloaded from TRACES and carry the TRACES watermark; a manually prepared Part A is not acceptable and may cause TDS mismatch.
If you changed jobs, collect a separate Form 16 from each employer; failing to include all salary income in your ITR can trigger a scrutiny notice.
If TDS shown in Form 16 does not match Form 26AS (due to late deposit by employer), the credit will not be available while filing; the employer must correct the TDS return before the mismatch can be resolved.
Form 16A for non-salary TDS must be issued within 15 days of the TDS return due date for each quarter; banks often upload all four quarters only after May, so check near the ITR deadline.