The Income Tax Department has released all Income Tax Return (ITR) forms for the assessment year 2025–26. However, salaried individuals may need to wait until mid-June to file their returns, as employers typically issue Form 16 during that time. This form plays a vital role for salaried taxpayers, as it contains comprehensive details about salary income and tax deducted at source (TDS).
Form 16 is generated directly from the TRACES portal by employers, ensuring its accuracy and reliability. It contains digitized data on salary, deductions, and TDS, and is generally made available in digital format after June 15. This enables employees to file their ITR for the financial year 2024–25 with the correct figures.
That said, filing your return without Form 16 is entirely possible. Salaried employees who haven’t yet received the form, as well as freelancers or self-employed individuals (who don’t get Form 16 at all), can still proceed with tax filing using alternative documents. Key resources include salary slips and bank statements, which help track income and deductions, along with Form 26AS for verifying TDS details and the Annual Information Statement (AIS) for a broader view of financial transactions.
Taxpayers should also gather supporting documents like evidence for house rent allowance (HRA) and leave travel allowance (LTA), TDS certificates issued by banks, home and education loan repayment certificates, and investment proofs for eligible deductions. It’s important to ensure consistency between the figures in Form 26AS, AIS, and your actual financial records to avoid discrepancies.
Fortunately, filing your return is free and user-friendly on the official e-filing portal of the Income Tax Department. The portal doesn’t require you to upload Form 16, and it auto-populates key data such as income, TDS, and eligible deductions from government databases. Still, it’s essential to cross-check these details with your documents to confirm their accuracy.
For those with multiple income sources or who feel uncertain about navigating the tax filing process solo, seeking assistance from a tax expert or a Chartered Accountant is highly recommended. Professional guidance can help ensure that you file correctly, claim all eligible deductions, and stay fully compliant.
