Section 203 | TDS Certificate

203. (1) Every person deducting tax in accordance with the foregoing provisions of this Chapter shall, within such period as may be prescribed from the time of credit or payment of the sum, or, as the case may be, from the time of issue of a cheque or warrant for payment of any dividend to a shareholder, furnish to the person to whose account such credit is given or to whom such payment is made or the cheque or warrant is issued, a certificate to the effect that tax has been deducted, and specifying the amount so deducted, the rate at which the tax has been deducted and such other particulars as may be prescribed.

(2) Every person, being an employer, referred to in sub-section (1A) of section 192 shall, within such period, as may be prescribed, furnish to the person in respect of whose income such payment of tax has been made, a certificate to the effect that tax has been paid to the Central Government, and specify the amount so paid, the rate at which the tax has been paid and such other particulars as may be prescribed.

(3) [***]

Issue of TDS Certificate

Every person deducting tax at source is required as per Section 203 to furnish a certificate to the payee to the effect that tax has been deducted along with certain other particulars. This certificate is usually called the TDS certificate. Even the banks deducting tax at the time of payment of pension are required to issue such certificates. In case of employees receiving salary income including pension, the certificate has to be issued in Form No.16. In all other cases, the TDS certificate is to be issued in Form 16B. The certificate is to be issued in the deductor's own stationery. However, there is no obligation to issue TDS certificate in case of tax at source is not deducted/deductible by virtue of claims of exemptions/ deductions.

Form and Time Limit for issue of TDS Certificates

Issue of Duplicate Certificate

Where the original TDS certificate is lost, the deductee can approach the deductor for issue of a duplicate TDS certificate. The deductor may issue a duplicate certificate in Form No. 16 or Form 16A as the case may be. However such a certificate has to be certified as duplicate by the deductor. Further, the deductor may, at his option, use digital signatures to authenticate such certificates. In case of issue of such certificates the deductor shall ensure that-

1. The provisions of sub-rule (2) of Rule 31 regarding specification of TAN, PAN of deducteee book identification number; Challan identification number; receipt number of relevant quarterly statements etc. are complied with;
2. Once the certificate is digitally signed, the contents of the certificates are not amendable to change; and
3. The certificates have a control number and a log of such certificates is maintained by the