Is AIS more reliable than Form 26AS for accurate tax reporting?
I’m trying to wrap my head around this whole tax thing, and it’s honestly stressing me out. My AIS and Form 26AS don’t match, and now I’m paranoid that I’ll mess up my return or get some scary notice later. AIS shows a bunch of extra entries that 26AS doesn’t, and I can’t tell if they’re legit or just glitches. Some friends say trust AIS, others swear by 26AS, and I’m stuck in the middle totally confused. If anyone’s been through this chaos, I’d seriously appreciate any advice on which one is actually more reliable.
Form 26AS mainly shows TDS/TCS and tax payments actually reported by deductors, so it’s traditionally been the “safe” base for matching taxes paid.
AIS (Annual Information Statement) is broader — it includes more transactions (interest, securities, etc.), so it can show items that never appear in 26AS.
If they don’t match, don’t panic. Cross-verify both with your bank statements, Form 16/16A, and other records. If AIS has incorrect entries, you can submit feedback in the portal before filing.
Best approach: use 26AS to confirm taxes paid, use AIS to ensure you haven’t missed reporting income.
I was in the same boat a few months ago and felt like pulling my hair out. What worked for me was matching AIS with my actual bank/passbook entries and ignoring duplicates or errors that didn’t line up. AIS gives a broader picture, but it glitches too. I found the GST HSN Code Finder super useful for staying updated on tax tweaks and budget stuff—it’s got clear, no-nonsense info I could actually follow.