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How to Download Form 168 / 26AS (Your Tax Credit Statement)

2026-06-30 · 6 min read · by a CA firm

Your annual tax statement is the single most important document to check before filing a return — it shows every rupee of tax credited against your PAN. This guide shows you how to view and download it, what each section means, and what to do when a TDS entry is missing.

26AS or 168 — which name?
Under the Income-tax Act 2025, Form 26AS is renumbered Form 168 from Tax Year 2026-27 (income earned on or after 1 April 2026). For your AY 2026-27 return, which assesses FY 2025-26 income, you still use Form 26AS. The document and the download steps are the same — only the name changes.

What the statement contains

Form 168 / 26AS is an annual statement, linked to your PAN, that brings together: TDS deducted on your income, TCS collected from you, advance and self-assessment tax you paid, refunds issued, and certain specified financial transactions (SFT). It is not the same as the AIS (Annual Information Statement), which is a wider record of financial transactions — check both before filing.

Method 1 — via the income-tax e-filing portal

  1. Log in to the e-filing portal at incometax.gov.in using your PAN/Aadhaar and password.
  2. Go to e-File → Income Tax Returns → View Form 26AS / 168.
  3. Read the disclaimer and click Confirm. You are redirected to the TRACES (TDS-CPC) portal.
  4. On TRACES, accept the terms of usage and click Proceed.
  5. Click View Tax Credit (Form 26AS / 168).
  6. Select the relevant Assessment Year and the format — HTML to view on screen, Text, or PDF.
  7. Click View/Download. To save a PDF, open the HTML view and click Export as PDF.

Method 2 — via net banking

If your PAN is linked to your bank account, most major banks let you view the statement directly from the net-banking dashboard (look for “Tax Credit Statement / Form 26AS”), without separately logging in to the income-tax portal. The view opens on the TRACES site as above.

Do you need a password?

When viewed on the portal, the statement is generally not password-protected. If a downloaded file ever prompts for a password, it is your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format (for example, 07081990).

Reading the statement

The TDS section lists each deductor by TAN, the section, the period, the amount paid/credited and the TDS deducted. Cross-check this against your own records: the income should match what you have booked, and the TDS should match what you intend to claim. Our free Form 168 vs Books reconciliation tool does this line by line and flags anything missing or mismatched.

If a TDS entry is missing or wrong

A missing entry almost always means the deductor has not deposited the TDS or not filed (or not revised) their TDS return. The fix is at the deductor’s end: ask them to deposit the tax and file or correct their statement so the credit appears against your PAN. Do this before you file — you can only claim credit that is reflected in your statement. If the amount is wrong, the deductor files a correction statement.

Frequently asked questions

Is Form 168 the same as Form 26AS? Yes — renumbered from Tax Year 2026-27; for the AY 2026-27 return you still use 26AS.

Password to open it? Generally none; if asked, your date of birth in DDMMYYYY.

Entry missing? The deductor hasn’t deposited or filed — get them to fix it before you file.

Is it the same as AIS? No — 168 is tax credit; AIS is a wider transaction record. Check both.

Related: the free Form 168 vs Books reconciliation tool, the TDS glossary (see Form 168, AIS, TRACES), and the 195 guide if you receive payments as a non-resident.

General information for FY 2026-27 under the Income-tax Act 2025, not advice on your specific case. Portal screens may change; verify on the official site or talk to a CA.