What is AIS, and Why Should You Check It Before Filing ITR?

Before filing your ITR, it is useful to check what information the Income Tax Department already has against your PAN. The Annual Information Statement (AIS) shows all these details in one place, including TDS, dividends, tax payments, refunds, and other reported transactions. 

A quick review can help you catch mismatches early and correct details before they affect your return. 

In this blog, you will learn what AIS is, how to download it, and how it differs from Form 26AS.

What is AIS in Income Tax? 

AIS’s full form is Annual Information Statement. It is a detailed electronic record of a taxpayer’s financial information for a financial year available on the Income Tax e-filing portal.

What is the Purpose of an AIS?

The purpose of the AIS is to help taxpayers review their financial information before filing their ITR.

AIS helps taxpayers:

• Check income details reported by different sources
• Verify TDS, TCS and tax payment details
• Identify missing or incorrect information
• Give feedback on incorrect entries
• Support accurate ITR filing
• Reduce the chances of under-reporting income

What are the Features of the Annual Information Statement? 

The Annual Information Statement (AIS) gives taxpayers a detailed view of financial information from multiple sources reported to the Income Tax Department. 

Here are the key features of AIS:

• Detailed financial view: AIS provides information on salary, interest, dividends, TDS/TCS, tax payments, refunds, securities transactions, and specified financial transactions.
• Multiple information sources: The data is collected from reporting entities such as banks, employers, mutual funds, brokers, companies, and tax authorities.
• Online feedback option: If any transaction is incorrect, duplicate, or does not belong to you, you can submit feedback through the AIS portal.
• Reported and modified values: AIS shows the original value reported by the source and may also show the modified value after taxpayer feedback.
• TIS access: Taxpayers can also view TIS, which provides a simplified summary of information to facilitate ITR filing.

What are the Components of an Annual Information Statement?

The information in the Annual Information Statement is divided into two parts: 

Part A and Part B.

Component	What It Shows
Part A: General Information	PAN, masked Aadhaar number, taxpayer name, date of birth/incorporation, mobile number, email ID and address
Part B: Tax and Transaction Information	TDS/TCS details, SFT information, tax payments, demand and refund details, and other reported information

Part A: General Information

Part A shows basic taxpayer details such as PAN, masked Aadhaar number, name, date of birth or incorporation, mobile number, email ID, and address.

Part B: TDS/TCS and Other Information

Part B shows tax and transaction-related details, including:

• TDS/TCS Information: Tax deducted or collected at source
• SFT Information: Specified financial transactions reported by banks, brokers, mutual funds, and other entities
• Payment of Taxes: Advance tax and self-assessment tax
• Demand and Refund: Refund details and demand information, where available
• Other Information: Salary details, interest on refund, foreign remittance or purchase of foreign currency, and other reported data

Note: AIS shows information currently available with the Income Tax Department. However, some transactions may not appear in AIS. Taxpayers should still check their own records and report complete and accurate details while filing ITR.

How to Check the Annual Information Statement?

You can check your Annual Information Statement from the Income Tax e-filing portal after logging in with your PAN or Aadhaar details.

Here are the steps to check AIS online:

1. Visit the Income Tax e-filing portal.
2. Log in using your PAN/Aadhaar and password.
3. Go to Services.
4. Select Annual Information Statement AIS.
5. Choose the relevant financial year.
6. View your AIS and Taxpayer Information Summary TIS.
7. Check the details before filing your ITR.

Where to Download the Annual Information Statement?

You can download the Annual Information Statement from the Income Tax e-filing portal.

Here are the steps to download AIS online:

1. Log in to the Income Tax portal.
2. Go to Services.
3. Click Annual Information Statement AIS.
4. Select the financial year.
5. Choose AIS.
6. Click the download option.
7. Download the file in the available format, such as PDF or JSON.

Note: The entire AIS can be downloaded in PDF or JSON format, and transaction details in Excel may need to be downloaded separately by category.

What is the AIS Password Format?

The AIS password is your PAN in lowercase, followed by your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format.

For non-individual taxpayers, use the date of incorporation or formation in DDMMYYYY format.

PAN in lowercase + Date of Birth / Incorporation in DDMMYYYY

For example:

If your PAN is ABCDE1234F and your date of birth is 15 August 1990, your AIS password will be: abcde1234f15081990

How to Submit Feedback in AIS?

If you find any incorrect or unfamiliar entries in your Annual Information Statement (AIS), you can submit feedback directly on the Income Tax portal.

Here are the steps to submit feedback in AIS:

1. Log in to the Income Tax e-filing portal.
2. Go to Services and select Annual Information Statement (AIS).
3. Click Proceed to open the AIS portal.
4. Open the relevant financial year and select the transaction you want to review.
5. In the Feedback column, click the option available for that item.
6. Choose the relevant feedback option and enter the required details.
7. Click Submit to send your feedback.

What Happens After AIS Feedback?

After AIS feedback is submitted, the system may update the displayed value and show a modified value where applicable.

AIS generally shows:

Value Type	Meaning
Reported Value	Information reported by banks, employers, deductors, mutual funds, brokers or other reporting entities
Modified Value	Value after considering taxpayer feedback

What is the AIS Consolidated Feedback File?

The AIS Consolidated Feedback File (ACF) lets taxpayers view all AIS feedback, except “Information is correct,” in one PDF file. It can be downloaded after submitting feedback.

Are AIS and Form 26AS the Same?

No, AIS and Form 26AS are not the same.

AIS gives a broader view of taxpayer information, while Form 26AS mainly focuses on tax credits such as TDS, TCS, advance tax, self-assessment tax, and refund details.

Point	AIS	Form 26AS
Full Form	Annual Information Statement	Annual Tax Statement
Scope	Wider financial and tax information	Mainly tax credit information
Includes feedback option	Yes	No similar detailed feedback feature
Useful for	Reviewing income and transactions	Checking tax credits
Detail level	More detailed	More limited

What are the Common Mistakes to Avoid While Checking AIS

Avoid these mistakes when reviewing your AIS statement:

• Ignoring interest income shown in AIS
• Not checking dividend income
• Filing ITR without comparing Form 26AS and AIS
• Missing capital gains from shares or mutual funds
• Not giving feedback on incorrect information
• Entering the wrong AIS password format
• Assuming AIS is always fully correct without verification

Final Thought

AIS is not a separate form that every taxpayer has to file. However, checking AIS is important before filing ITR. The Income Tax Department expects taxpayers to verify the information available in AIS and report their complete and accurate income in their tax returns. Before submitting your return, always compare AIS with your own records and provide feedback if you notice incorrect information. 

Once your tax records are in order, you can take the next step, open a free Demat account and start your investment journey. 

Annual Information Statement: FAQs

Source: https://www.incometax.gov.in

Disclaimer: This content is for education and awareness purposes only and should not be considered investment advice or a recommendation. Investments in securities markets are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing.