How To File ITR Without Form 16 for Salaried Individuals

Others 592 views 3 replies

Mitali

Finance Professional

34758 Points Posted on 08 April 2025

Filing your ITR without Form 16 is feasible by following these steps:

First collect all your salary slips for the financial year to obtain details about your earnings, allowances, and deductions.
Calculate all the total income by including basic salary, allowances (like HRA, LTA), bonuses, and other perks. Deduct applicable exemptions such as the standard deduction, HRA, and professional tax to arrive at your taxable income.
Check Bank Statements such as interest or dividends, and include these in your total income.
Download Form 26AS from the Income Tax website. This form provides a consolidated record of tax deducted and deposited against your PAN. Cross-check with Form 26AS for TDS accuracy.
Review all the gathered information for accuracy. Once verified, proceed to file your ITR through the Income Tax Department's e-filing portal.

By meticulously compiling and verifying these documents, you can confidently file your ITR without Form 16.

Replies (3)

Rama chary Rachakonda

Master in Accounts & high court Advocate

9615 Points Posted on 08 April 2025

Good information

Tax Garden

Tax Consultant

790 Points Posted on 11 June 2026

Filing without Form 16 is possible. Here is the practical approach.

Step 1 - Compute salary from pay slips: Add up gross salary from April 2025 to March 2026. Include basic pay, HRA, LTA, bonus, and arrears. Use gross salary, not net take-home.

Step 2 - Download Form 26AS and AIS from the income tax portal: Login > e-File > Income Tax Returns > Annual Tax Statement (26AS) and Annual Information Statement (AIS). These show all TDS deducted by your employer. The TDS credit in 26AS is what matters for your return even without Form 16.

Step 3 - Work out your deductions: Under the new regime (default from this year), only the Rs 75,000 standard deduction applies. Under the old regime, collect rent receipts for HRA, investment proofs for 80C, health insurance premium for 80D.

Step 4 - Wait until June 15: Employers must issue Form 16 by June 15 under Section 203 of the Income Tax Act. Filing before you receive it increases the risk of a mismatch with employer TDS records. If your employer misses the June 15 date, send a formal written request to HR.

Step 5 - File the correct form: ITR-1 if income is under Rs 50 lakh from salary plus one house property plus other sources, and no capital gains. ITR-2 if you have capital gains or more than one house property.

For the complete step-by-step filing process with AIS reconciliation and screenshots, this [ITR filing guide for AY 2026-27](https://taxgarden.in/blog/itr-login-itr-filing-step-by-step-all-types-itrs-screenshots-2026) walks through each stage.

Thinking Bridge

Practical Finance Training

77 Points Posted on 11 June 2026

Yes, Form 16 is useful but it is not a mandatory for filing an ITR. In case of a salaried employee, he/she may use salary slips, Form 26AS, AIS (Annual Information Statement), bank statements, or even proof of investments etc. to file the return.

A approach that works is:

1. Work out total salary income from pay slips (monthly).
2. Check deduction of TDS by employer from Form 26AS and AIS.
3. Add other income like bank interest/fd interest, dividends etc.
4. Claim the allowable deductions/exemptions for the chosen tax regime.
5. Ensure all numbers are balanced prior to filing the return.

If your employer is expected to provide you with the Form 16 soon, it is usually better to wait and verify all the information before filing it as you won't incur mismatches while filing, between the salary income, TDS credit, AIS, and Form 26AS.

Also make sure that the TDS as shown in Form 26AS is same as the tax deducted on salary income. Contact the employer and obtain correction in case of discrepancy, before filing return.

To sum up, it is possible to file ITR without Form 16, as long as salary income and TDS information has been correctly compiled from the salary slips, AIS and Form 26AS.