How to Check Form 26AS and AIS Before Filing ITR: A Guide for US NRIs (FY 2025–26)
Apoorva K
Team Rupeeflo
Taxation
How to Check Form 26AS and AIS Before Filing ITR: A Guide for US NRIs
Most US NRIs who get a tax notice from India didn't do anything wrong.
They just filed numbers that didn't match what their bank had already reported against their PAN - and assumed that since TDS was deducted, their job was done. It wasn't. Before you file anything this year, there are two documents that tell you exactly what the government already knows about your Indian income: Forms 26AS and AIS
Here's how to read them.
What are Form 26AS and AIS? (And the Key Differences)
ITR is the tax return filed with the tax department, while Form 26AS and AIS are pre-filing reference statements. They provide a summary of taxes, income, and high-value transactions linked to your PAN during a financial year. Comparing them against your actual income is the first step to ensuring your ITR is accurate and error-free.
Here’s what each statement includes and how they differ from each other.
Form 26AS
Form 26AS is an annual tax credit statement that shows taxes deducted, collected, or paid during a financial year. It helps verify whether TDS and other tax payments have been correctly deposited with the government.
It generally includes:
Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) by banks, tenants, or property buyers
Tax Collected at Source (TCS) on specified transactions (like foreign remittances and vehicle purchases)
Advance tax and self-assessment tax payments
Income tax refund details
Certain high-value transactions are reported under the Annual Information Return (AIR)
Annual Information Statement (AIS)
AIS is a detailed financial information statement that shows income, investments, taxes, and specified financial transactions reported to the Income Tax Department by different institutions.
It generally includes:
TDS and TCS details
Savings account and fixed deposit interest
Dividend payouts (even those without TDS)
Mutual fund and stock transactions
Property and other high-value transactions
Foreign remittances and forex purchases
Other reported information, such as refund interest, salary details, and Goods and Services Tax (GST) turnover
Why Tax Mismatches Happen (And Why US NRIs Face Higher Stakes)
Tax mismatches usually happen when the income reported in an ITR does not match the information already available with the tax department through AIS and Form 26AS. Since financial institutions directly report transactions against a PAN, even small reporting discrepancies may trigger compliance queries or refund delays.
For US-based NRIs, these mismatches carry higher stakes because the same Indian income may also need to be reported in US tax filings, including Form 1040. If records remain inconsistent across both countries, it can lead to additional documentation, reconciliation issues, or complications when claiming Foreign Tax Credits (FTC).
The most common reasons for these mismatches are:
Reason | What Usually Happens | Why It Matters More for US NRIs |
Fixed Deposit (FD) Interest Timing | Indian banks may report FD interest on an accrual basis in AIS/26AS even before maturity. | US tax rules generally require annual reporting of global interest income, which can create timing mismatches between Indian and US filings. |
Default TDS Deduction for NRIs | Banks and financial institutions often deduct TDS at standard NRI rates regardless of treaty benefits or final tax liability. | If the Indian ITR does not properly reconcile excess TDS, it may complicate FTC claims on the US tax return. |
NRE Account Interest Reporting | NRE account interest is tax-exempt in India and may not appear as taxable income in the ITR. | The IRS still treats NRE interest as taxable worldwide income, creating a reporting gap if it is omitted from the US return. |
Gross vs Net Income Reporting | NRIs sometimes report only the post-TDS amount credited to their account rather than the full gross income before tax deductions. | US tax filings and FTC claims usually rely on gross foreign income, so that underreporting can create problems during verification. |
Old or Inactive Accounts | Forgotten savings accounts or old FDs may still earn some interest that appears in AIS and Form 26AS. | Even small unreported entries may trigger notices in India and create gaps in US reporting records. |
How to Access 26AS and AIS for E-Filing Income Tax India
Both statements are easily accessible from the official Income Tax e-Filing portal using your PAN login credentials and password. Once you are on the dashboard, the process for each form branches out into different sections of the website.
The step-by-step process to access these forms:
How to Access Form 26AS
Navigate to e-File > Income Tax Returns > View Form 26AS.
Confirm the redirection to the "TRACES" portal (a separate government portal for TDS).
Select the relevant Assessment Year (e.g., AY 2026-27 for income earned in FY 2025-26).
Choose "View as HTML" or "Export as PDF."
Note: If the PDF prompts for a password, enter your Date of Birth in DDMMYYYY format (e.g., 15081990 for 15-Aug-1990).
How to Access AIS
Log in to the Income Tax e-Filing portal and go to the ‘Services’ tab.
Select ‘Annual Information Statement (AIS)’ and click ‘Proceed.’
Open the AIS dashboard and download the PDF version of AIS for detailed transaction records.
Note: If the PDF prompts for a password, use your PAN (in lowercase) followed by the Date of Birth in DDMMYYYY format (e.g., abcde1234f01011990).
What to Reconcile Before Filing ITR
Reconciliation is the process of matching the income and tax details shown in AIS, Form 26AS, and personal financial records before filing an ITR. This step ensures that the figures already reported in government records are accurate and consistent.
Focus on these key areas:
Verify TDS Credits: Match the TDS shown in bank Interest Certificates with Form 26AS. If the deducted tax is lower than the actual liability, the balance tax may need to be paid before filing.
Check Interest Income: Verify savings account and fixed deposit interest against AIS entries. In the case of cumulative FDs, AIS may report accrued yearly interest even before maturity.
Confirm Property Sale TDS: If the property was sold in India, ensure the buyer’s TDS deposit through Form 16B appears in Form 26AS before claiming the tax credit.
Review Capital Gains & Dividends: Compare broker statements with AIS sale values for shares and mutual funds. Also, verify dividend entries reflected in AIS.
Identify Incorrect Entries: AIS may occasionally contain duplicate transactions or incorrectly tagged entries due to reporting errors by financial institutions. Cross-check AIS entries with personal bank and investment records.
What If Something in AIS or Form 26AS Looks Wrong?
Finding an inaccuracy in your tax data is common, but the fix depends entirely on which form contains the error.
Here’s what you should do next:
Correcting Errors in Form 26AS
Form 26AS reflects taxes deposited against a PAN, so corrections can only be made by the reporting entity. Follow these steps:
Use the “Tax Credit Mismatch” option on the e-Filing portal to identify the incorrect or missing TDS entry.
Contact the deductor, such as the bank, employer, tenant, or property buyer.
Request a TDS Correction Return through the TRACES system.
The corrected TDS credit will reflect in Form 26AS after the revised return is processed.
Correcting Errors in the AIS
AIS is system-generated and may sometimes contain duplicate or incorrect entries reported by financial institutions. Follow these steps:
Log in to the Income Tax e-Filing Portal, navigate to Services, and click on AIS.
Proceed to the Compliance Portal, select the relevant Financial Year, and view your AIS details.
Select a specific transaction and submit feedback using official categories, such as:
duplicate,
incorrect,
belonging to another person,
or partially correct.
After submission, the derived value is reflected in the Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS).
Download the acknowledgement receipt for recordkeeping.
Note: Keep supporting documents like bank statements, broker reports, and interest certificates ready for future clarification, if required.
Filing Your ITR More Accurately
For a US NRI, a mismatch in Indian records doesn't stay in India. It follows your FTC claim onto your 1040, creates documentation gaps the IRS can question, and turns a clean filing into a back-and-forth that takes months to resolve. Reconciling Form 26AS and AIS before you file is the one step that keeps both sides of your tax picture consistent.
Disclaimer: Tax treatment for NRIs varies based on the residential status, income type, and treaty eligibility. Please consult a qualified cross-border tax professional or Chartered Accountant for guidance tailored to the specific circumstances.
FAQs
Does Form 26AS show my Non-Resident External (NRE) account interest?
No. Interest on NRE accounts is tax-exempt in India. Since banks do not deduct TDS on this income, it will not appear in your Form 26AS statement.
My bank deducted 30% TDS, but it isn’t in my 26AS. Can I claim it?
No. You can only claim credits reflected in Form 26AS. Contact your bank to file a TDS correction; the credit will appear once they update their records.
What if the IRS asks for proof of taxes shown in my 26AS?
Your Form 26AS and Indian ITR-V serve as official proof. These documents create the essential paper trail required to defend Foreign Tax Credit (FTC) claims on your US return.
Is the TIS different from the AIS?
Yes. While the AIS lists every individual transaction, the TIS aggregates that data into simplified category totals, making it easier to fill in specific fields in your ITR.
