Tax Compliance Form 16 downloadForm 16 passwordTRACES portalForm 16 Part A Part BForm 130Form 16 deadlinefile ITR without Form 16Form 16 not receivedForm 16A vs Form 16Bemployer TDSForm 26ASAISTRACES 2.0

Form 16 Download 2026: TRACES, Password, Part A vs B & the Form 130 Switch

Form 16 deadline is June 15. TRACES 2.0 launched April 2026. Form 130 replaces Form 16 from FY 2026-27. How to download, open, verify, and file ITR without it.

By HonestMoney.in Editorial Team | Updated May 3, 2026

Form 16 Is Not What You Think It Is

Form 16 is a TDS certificate — proof that your employer deducted tax from your salary and deposited it with the government. It is not a requirement for filing your ITR. It is not issued by the Income Tax Department. And from FY 2026-27, it will not even be called Form 16 anymore.

Here is everything you need to know: how to get it, what to do when you cannot, and what changes from April 2026.

The June 15 Deadline and Why Your Employer Is Always Late

Event	Deadline
Employer files Q4 Form 24Q	May 31
Part A available on TRACES	1-2 weeks after Q4 filing
Employer issues Form 16 to employee	June 15
Penalty for employer delay	Rs 100/day per certificate
Penalty cap	Cannot exceed TDS amount
Your ITR filing deadline	July 31

Your employer has exactly 15 days between filing the Q4 TDS return (May 31) and issuing Form 16 (June 15). Any delay in Q4 filing cascades into late Form 16 delivery. Large companies with thousands of employees routinely miss by 1-3 weeks.

What you should do: Do not wait for Form 16 to start preparing your ITR. Download Form 26AS and AIS from incometax.gov.in from June 1 itself.

Part A vs Part B — What Each Contains

Component	Source	Contains
Part A	TRACES (government-generated)	TAN, PAN, quarterly TDS breakup, challan details, employer deposit proof
Part B	Employer (self-prepared)	Salary breakup, HRA/LTA exemptions, Section 80C/80D deductions, tax computation

Why salary figures differ between Part A and Part B: Part A is pulled from quarterly Form 24Q returns. If you joined mid-year, only the quarters you worked appear. If your employer revised earlier quarter figures in Q4, the quarterly split looks odd.

What must match: TDS amounts in Part A and Part B. If they differ, your employer either over-deducted (you get a refund) or under-deducted (you owe tax).

Form 16 vs Form 16A vs Form 16B vs Form 16C

Parameter	Form 16	Form 16A	Form 16B	Form 16C
Income type	Salary	Non-salary (FD interest, professional fees, rent, commission)	Property sale (Section 194IA)	Rent paid by individual/HUF (Section 194IB)
Issued by	Employer	Bank, client, tenant, any TDS deductor	Property buyer	Tenant
Frequency	Annual	Quarterly	Per transaction	Monthly/Quarterly
Threshold	Any salary TDS	Various (Rs 40K FD interest, Rs 30K professional, etc.)	Property value > Rs 50 lakh	Monthly rent > Rs 50,000
New name (from FY 2026-27)	Form 130	Form 131	TBD	TBD

Common confusion: People receive Form 16A from their bank for FD interest and think it is “their Form 16.” Others do not know Form 16B exists — property sellers chase their employer for a document that should come from the buyer.

How to Open Your Form 16 PDF

Standard password format: PAN (uppercase) + DOB (DDMMYYYY)

Example: If PAN is ABCDE1234F and date of birth is 15 August 1990, password is: ABCDE1234F15081990

Why it fails:

PAN not in ALL CAPS → abcde1234f15081990 will not work
Date format wrong → 15/08/1990 or 15-08-1990 will not work
Extra spaces before or after
Some employers use non-standard formats: Employee ID + DOB, or Date of Joining

Check the email that accompanied your Form 16 — it usually mentions the password format. If nothing works, ask HR.

Filing ITR Without Form 16 — Step by Step

You do not need Form 16 to file your ITR. Here is how:

Step 1: Download AIS and Form 26AS

All TDS credited against your PAN (from every deductor)
FD interest, dividend income, property transactions
Mutual fund redemptions, share transactions
High-value purchases (car, jewellery)

Form 26AS shows TDS/TCS details specifically. AIS is more comprehensive.

Step 2: Reconstruct salary from payslips

Collect all 12 monthly payslips. Add up:

Gross salary (basic + DA + HRA + special allowances + all components)
Exempt allowances (HRA exemption, LTA if claimed)
Standard deduction (Rs 75,000 new regime / Rs 50,000 old regime)

Step 3: Verify with bank statements

Cross-check that net salary credited to your bank matches payslip net pay × 12 months. Any discrepancy means you missed a component (bonus, arrears, reimbursements).

Step 4: Calculate deductions yourself

80C: EPF (12 months × employee contribution from payslip) + PPF + ELSS + LIC
80D: Health insurance premium receipts
24(b): Home loan interest certificate from bank
80CCD(1B): NPS self-contribution receipt

Step 5: File using AIS figures for TDS

Always use Form 26AS/AIS TDS figures — not what your employer verbally told you. The IT Department processes refunds based on 26AS, not Form 16.

When Your Employer Refuses or Cannot Issue Form 16

Scenario 1: Company shut down or insolvent

You will not get Form 16. Use Form 26AS — if TDS was actually deposited, it reflects there. File ITR using salary slips + AIS + bank statements.

Scenario 2: Employer deducted TDS but did not deposit

Form 26AS shows nothing. You lose TDS credit temporarily. Options:

File complaint with your Assessing Officer (provide salary slips as proof)
Employer faces prosecution under Section 276B
You may need to pay tax yourself and pursue recovery separately
Courts consistently hold employees should not suffer for employer default — but relief takes 6-18 months

Scenario 3: Employer deliberately withholds Form 16

Common with ex-employers during notice period disputes. This is illegal. Penalty: Rs 100/day under Section 272A(2)(g). Steps:

Send written email citing June 15 deadline and penalty provision
If ignored, file complaint with jurisdictional CIT (Appeals)
Meanwhile, file ITR using AIS data — you lose nothing

Scenario 4: Employer says “zero TDS so no Form 16”

Wrong. If your salary exceeds the basic exemption limit and employer chose not to deduct TDS (perhaps claiming your deductions exceed taxable income), they must still issue Form 16 showing NIL tax. Many small employers use this excuse to avoid TDS compliance altogether.

Common Errors in Form 16 That Cost You Money

Error	Impact	What to do
HRA exemption not calculated	You lose Rs 30,000-3,00,000 in deduction	Claim directly in ITR (you can override employer’s computation)
80C deductions missing (submitted proofs late)	Higher TDS deducted all year	Claim in ITR — get refund
Wrong PAN	TDS does not reflect in your 26AS	Ask employer to file correction return (Form 24Q revised)
Previous employer salary not consolidated	Double standard deduction, wrong slab	You must consolidate in ITR — may owe tax
Perquisite valuation errors (ESOP, car, housing)	Over/under taxation	Verify against ESOP exercise statements and actual benefit
LTA claimed but no travel	Employer granted exemption without verifying	Technically invalid — if caught in scrutiny, you pay tax + interest

Critical rule: You can always claim MORE deductions in your ITR than what Form 16 shows. If your employer missed your 80D or HRA, claim it yourself. But you cannot claim LESS than what Form 16 shows (your employer already reported that salary to the government).

The Form 130 Transition: What Changes from FY 2026-27

The new Income-tax Act, 2025 (effective April 1, 2026) replaces all existing form numbers:

Old Form	New Form	Purpose
Form 16	Form 130	Salary TDS certificate
Form 16A	Form 131	Non-salary TDS certificate
Form 26AS	Form 168	Annual tax statement
Form 15G/15H	Form 121	Declaration for no TDS on interest
Form 24Q	Revised numbering	Quarterly TDS return

What actually changes in Form 130 vs Form 16:

Form number and header — cosmetic change
Section references — old Section 192 becomes new section numbers under IT Act 2025
Some field reorganization — deduction breakup slightly restructured
Digital signature requirement unchanged — employer must sign digitally

What does NOT change:

Two-part structure (Part A from TRACES + Part B from employer)
Content: salary breakup, exemptions, deductions, TDS computation
Deadline: still June 15
Password format for PDF: still PAN + DOB
Your ability to file without it: still valid

Timeline:

June 2026: Last-ever Form 16 issued (for FY 2025-26)
June 2027: First Form 130 issued (for FY 2026-27)
July 2027: First ITR filing season using Form 130

TRACES 2.0: What Changed in April 2026

The TDS processing portal (tdscpc.gov.in) underwent a complete UI overhaul in April 2026. This affects your employer, not you directly — but delays cascade to you.

What employers are facing:

New navigation and download workflows
Batch generation failures for large employee counts
Re-learning the interface during peak Form 16 season
Some deductors reporting timeout errors during bulk requests

What this means for you: Expect Form 16 delivery to be 1-2 weeks later than usual in 2026. Start AIS reconciliation from June 1 regardless.

The AIS Is More Important Than Form 16

Annual Information Statement (AIS) on incometax.gov.in now tracks 46+ categories of financial transactions:

Salary and TDS from all employers
FD/RD interest from all banks
Dividend income from all companies
Mutual fund purchases and redemptions
Property sale/purchase registrations
Foreign remittances (LRS)
Credit card payments above thresholds
Cash deposits above Rs 10 lakh
Crypto/VDA transactions from exchanges

Form 16 shows only salary. AIS shows everything. If your Form 16 is delayed but AIS is complete and accurate, you can file a perfect ITR without Form 16.

Pro tip: Download AIS in the first week of June. Submit feedback on any incorrect entries immediately — the reporting entity has 30 days to respond. Do not wait until July filing season to discover mismatches.

Changed Jobs Mid-Year? Read This Carefully

If you switched employers during the financial year:

You will get two (or more) Form 16s — one from each employer, covering their respective periods
Submit Form 12B to your new employer — declare previous employer income so they deduct correct TDS
If you did not submit Form 12B: Both employers may have given separate basic exemptions and standard deductions, resulting in lower TDS than required. You will owe tax when filing ITR.
Consolidation is YOUR responsibility: Add income from all Form 16s, apply exemption limit only once, compute correct tax. ITR-1 works if you have two employers with combined income under Rs 50L and no capital gains.

The demand notice trap: About 15% of job-switchers receive Section 143(1) notices because they filed based on their latest Form 16 alone, forgetting to add previous employer income that appears in AIS.

Checklist: Form 16 Season (June 2026)

What the Income Tax Department Actually Looks At

When processing your ITR, the CPC Bangalore does not read your Form 16. It cross-references:

Your ITR figures vs AIS/26AS data — any unreported income triggers auto-demand
TDS claimed in ITR vs TDS in 26AS — mismatch = refund hold or demand
Deductions claimed vs investment proof (only if selected for scrutiny)

Form 16 is between you and your employer. The government cares about Form 26AS and AIS. This is why filing without Form 16 works perfectly — and why having a Form 16 with errors in it does not protect you from notices.

Bottom line: Treat Form 16 as a convenience summary from your employer. Treat Form 26AS/AIS as the legal source of truth. When they conflict, always go with 26AS/AIS for TDS credit, and claim deductions in your ITR based on your own records and investment proofs.

HonestMoney.in Editorial Team

Research-backed content sourced from official publications, regulatory filings, verified data, and real-world experiences. Updated May 2026.

FAQ 12

Frequently Asked Questions

Research-backed answers from verified data and published sources.

What is the password to open my Form 16 PDF?

The standard format is your PAN in UPPERCASE followed by your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format — no spaces, no slashes. Example: ABCDE1234F15081990. Common failures include using lowercase PAN, adding slashes in the date (DD/MM/YYYY), or extra spaces. Some employers use non-standard formats like Employee ID + DOB or Date of Joining instead of DOB. Check the email that accompanied the Form 16 — it usually mentions the password format. If nothing works, ask your HR team for the specific format they used while generating.

My employer has not given Form 16 yet — what can I do?

Employers must issue Form 16 by June 15 every year. If they miss this, a penalty of Rs 100 per day per certificate applies under Section 272A(2)(g), capped at the TDS amount. Your recourse: (1) Send a written email to HR citing the legal deadline. (2) If they still refuse, file a complaint with your jurisdictional Assessing Officer (ITO/CIT). (3) Meanwhile, you can file ITR without Form 16 using Form 26AS/AIS data from the income tax portal. Form 16 is a convenience document — Form 26AS is the actual source of truth for TDS credit.

Can I file ITR without Form 16?

Yes — Form 16 is NOT a legal requirement for filing ITR. Download Form 26AS and AIS from incometax.gov.in. AIS shows all TDS credited against your PAN. Collect 12 months of salary slips to calculate gross salary, HRA, special allowances. Use bank statements to verify net salary credits. Calculate exemptions yourself (HRA, LTA, standard deduction). Compute Chapter VI-A deductions from investment proofs. The IT Department processes refunds based on Form 26AS data, not Form 16. Many startup employees routinely file without Form 16 because their employers delay Q4 TDS returns.

What is the difference between Form 16 Part A and Part B?

Part A is government-generated — your employer downloads it from the TRACES portal after filing quarterly TDS returns (Form 24Q). It contains TAN, PAN, TDS challan details, and quarterly breakup of TDS deducted and deposited. Part B is employer-prepared — it shows your detailed salary computation: basic, HRA, special allowances, exemptions, Chapter VI-A deductions, and final tax calculation. Salary figures in Part A and Part B may NOT match (this is normal if you did not work all 4 quarters). But TDS figures MUST match between both parts.

What is Form 130 and is it replacing Form 16?

Yes. Under the new Income-tax Act, 2025 (effective April 1, 2026), Form 16 is replaced by Form 130. The last Form 16 will be issued in June 2026 for FY 2025-26. From FY 2026-27 onwards, employers will issue Form 130 instead. The structure remains identical — two parts with salary details, TDS computation, and deduction breakup. Only the form number and some field labels change. Similarly, Form 16A becomes Form 131, and Form 26AS becomes Form 168. If you search for Form 16 after June 2027, the correct term will be Form 130.

Why does Form 16 Part A show different salary than my payslips?

Part A is generated from quarterly TDS returns (Form 24Q). If you joined mid-year, only the quarters you worked will show salary. If your employer filed Q1 and Q2 returns with estimated figures and corrected in Q4, the quarterly breakup may look odd. Part B shows the annual consolidated figure matching your CTC computation. Another common discrepancy: Part A may include employer PF contribution in gross salary computation while your payslip shows only in-hand. Always rely on Part B for your actual salary breakup and use Part A only for TDS verification against Form 26AS.

What if my employer deducted TDS but did not deposit it with the government?

This is a serious situation. Form 26AS will show nothing — no TDS credit against your PAN. Your Form 16 may show TDS deducted but it will not match 26AS. You cannot claim TDS credit for amounts not deposited. Options: (1) Complain to your Assessing Officer with salary slips as proof of deduction. (2) The employer faces penalty under Section 276B (prosecution for failure to deposit TDS) and interest at 1.5% per month. (3) In practice, you may need to pay the tax yourself and pursue recovery from the employer through civil proceedings. Courts have held that employees should not suffer for employer default, but getting relief takes time.

How do I download Form 16 Part A from TRACES?

Only employers/deductors can download Part A from TRACES — employees cannot directly access it. The process: Employer logs into tdscpc.gov.in with TAN credentials, navigates to Downloads > Form 16, selects the financial year and quarter (Q4 for annual), enters employee PANs, and requests generation. TRACES processes the request within 24-48 hours. The employer then downloads the zip file containing individual PDFs. Employees should request their employer or HR department to provide this. What YOU can do: download Form 26AS from incometax.gov.in — it shows the same TDS data that Part A contains.

What is TRACES 2.0 and how does it affect Form 16?

TRACES 2.0 launched in April 2026 as a complete overhaul of the TDS processing portal (tdscpc.gov.in). The new interface changes navigation, download workflows, and bulk processing for employers. Initial teething issues include UI confusion for deductors, batch download failures, and processing delays. For employees, the impact is indirect — if your employer struggles with the new TRACES interface, Form 16 generation may be delayed by 1-2 weeks beyond the usual timeline. The underlying data and format of Form 16 remain unchanged for FY 2025-26.

I changed jobs mid-year — will I get two Form 16s?

Yes. Each employer issues a separate Form 16 covering their employment period. The new employer's Form 16 covers only the months you worked there. Critical issue: if you did not submit Form 12B (previous employer income declaration) to your new employer, both may have given separate basic exemption limits and standard deduction, resulting in under-deduction of TDS. When filing ITR, you must CONSOLIDATE income from both Form 16s, apply the exemption limit only once, and may owe additional tax. The Form 26AS/AIS will show TDS from both employers — cross-verify both figures match before filing.

What is the deadline for Form 16 and what if my employer misses it?

The statutory deadline is June 15 of the assessment year. The chain: employer must file Q4 Form 24Q by May 31, Part A becomes available on TRACES within 1-2 weeks, then employer has until June 15 to issue Form 16 to employees. Large companies with thousands of employees routinely miss by 1-3 weeks due to the tight 15-day window. Penalty for the employer: Rs 100 per day per employee certificate under Section 272A(2)(g), maximum capped at the TDS amount. For you: do not wait — start compiling your AIS data and salary slips from mid-June so you can file ITR by July 31 regardless.

How do I verify the digital signature on my Form 16?

Form 16 Part A downloaded from TRACES carries a digital signature from the employer or authorized signatory. To verify: open the PDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader (not a browser PDF viewer), click on the signature panel or the blue ribbon icon, and check if it says Valid or Unknown. If it shows unknown — it may be a certificate chain issue with your PDF reader, not necessarily an invalid document. Some employers issue Form 16 with expired digital signature certificates — technically non-compliant but the content is still usable for ITR filing. If the signature shows Invalid, contact your employer for a fresh copy.

Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute tax advice. Tax laws change frequently. Consult a qualified Chartered Accountant or tax professional before making tax-related decisions. Always verify with the latest Income Tax Act provisions and official government notifications.