Important Keyword: AIS, Income Tax.
Table of Contents
AIS (Annual Information Statement)
An Annual Information Statement (AIS) serves as a comprehensive overview of financial transactions conducted throughout a financial year. It has the potential to replace Form 26AS, offering taxpayers a more detailed and transparent account of their financial activities.
What is AIS?
In the realm of tax documentation, Form 26AS has long been the go-to resource for taxpayers seeking a consolidated overview of their tax-related affairs. It encapsulated essential details like TDS deductions, Advance Tax payments, and significant financial transactions, providing a snapshot of one’s tax journey over the year.
Now, stepping into the spotlight is the Annual Information Statement (AIS), a dynamic document that surpasses the boundaries of Form 26AS. While it retains the core features of its predecessor, the AIS offers a more panoramic vista of taxpayer finances. Beyond the realm of taxation, it delves into realms like interest earnings, dividend accruals, securities and mutual fund dealings, and even sheds light on overseas remittances. This expansive scope empowers taxpayers with a more nuanced understanding of their financial landscape.
At the heart of the AIS lies the Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS), a distilled synopsis of financial data organized by category. This strategic arrangement simplifies the process of preparing and submitting tax returns, streamlining the journey towards compliance. Moreover, the AIS/TIS duo ushers in a new era of accessibility, offering taxpayers the flexibility to download their statements in various formats like PDF, JSON, and CSV.
In essence, the Annual Information Statement emerges as a beacon of transparency and empowerment in the realm of taxation, offering taxpayers a comprehensive toolkit to navigate their financial narratives with confidence and clarity.
What are some of the important features of the AIS?
AIS serves as a comprehensive repository where taxpayers can meticulously review all their income streams accrued over the financial year. Should any inaccuracies come to light, taxpayers have the provision to rectify them through online or offline channels, ensuring data integrity and reliability. Notably, any amendments made to AIS will seamlessly reflect in the associated Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS), enabling real-time updates and enhancing transparency.
Empowered by TIS, taxpayers can undertake a series of critical tasks:
a. Verify their security transactions against broker statements, fostering meticulous reconciliation and ensuring financial prudence.
b. Cross-reference dividend receipts in their bank accounts with corresponding entries in AIS, thereby bolstering accuracy and accountability.
c. Access pertinent details regarding refunds or demands pertaining to the previous year’s income tax returns, facilitating informed decision-making and fostering fiscal discipline.
In essence, AIS and TIS collectively emerge as invaluable tools, empowering taxpayers to navigate their financial landscapes with precision, confidence, and peace of mind.

How to view and download the Annual Information Statement?
To access and download the Annual Information Statement (AIS), follow these simple steps:
- Log in to the e-filing portal using your credentials.
- Navigate to the dashboard and locate the “AIS” option.

3. Click on Proceed
You will be redirected to the AIS home page
4. Click on the AIS tab
Select the relevant Financial Year & PAN and click on the download icon

5. Now you can download the AIS either in PDF or JSON format.

6. To have a comprehensive view of the AIS, you can click on Annual Information Statement (AIS)
What is the password to open AIS?
The PDF of the Annual Information Statement is protected by a password for security purposes. To unlock the file, follow these instructions:
- Enter your PAN in lowercase letters.
- For non-individual taxpayers, use the date of incorporation in the format DDMMYYYY.
- For individual taxpayers, use the date of birth in the format DDMMYYYY.
Combine your PAN with the date (either incorporation or birthdate) without any spaces. For example, if your PAN is ABCDE1235C and your birth date is January 20, 1995, your password would be abcde1235c20011995. Use this password to open the PDF file and access your Annual Information Statement.
Reasons for Discrepancies in the AIS data and the Trading data:
The Annual Information Statement (AIS) provides a comprehensive overview of a taxpayer’s financial transactions, including trading data from various sources like depositories, property registrars, and asset management companies. However, discrepancies or mismatches in the AIS data can occur due to several reasons:
- Use of Estimated Cost: The estimated cost of acquisition for securities may be based on the day’s closing prices rather than the actual prices at which the transactions were executed, leading to discrepancies in sale/purchase data.
- Treatment of OFF Market Credits: The estimated cost of acquisition might be considered as NIL for OFF Market credits in AIS, affecting the accurate valuation of transactions such as gift transfers or portfolio transfers.
- Misrepresentation of Pledged Shares: Pledged shares may be inaccurately reflected as sales of shares in the AIS data, leading to confusion regarding actual transactions.
- Lack of Previous Year’s Holding Information: AIS may only display the total purchase and sales values of securities without showing the previous year’s holding, resulting in discrepancies in capital gains calculations.
- Single PAN for Property Sales: In cases where property is sold by multiple co-owners, the total sales value may be reflected against the primary co-owner’s PAN only, potentially leading to inaccuracies in reporting.
- Duplication of Entries: There may be instances of duplication of entries in the AIS data, resulting in inflated or inaccurate transaction figures.
- Rounding Off Errors: Aggregated amounts from different sources in the AIS may vary due to rounding off errors, leading to discrepancies in the overall data.
These reasons highlight the importance of thorough review and verification of AIS data by taxpayers to ensure accuracy in reporting their financial transactions and compliance with tax regulations.
How to submit feedback ?
A facility has been provided to submit feedback online.

Taxpayers have the option to provide feedback on the Annual Information Statement (AIS) by submitting multiple pieces of information in bulk. Additionally, an AIS Utility has been made available for taxpayers to conveniently view and upload feedback offline.

In the Annual Information Statement (AIS), any modifications or denials made based on the feedback provided by taxpayers will be clearly indicated, distinguishing the reported value from the value after feedback. This transparency ensures that taxpayers can easily track the changes made to their financial information.
In instances where information is modified or denied based on the feedback submitted, the relevant information source may be contacted for confirmation. This additional step helps to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data presented in the AIS, providing reassurance to both taxpayers and tax authorities regarding the integrity of the information.
Read More: Schedule FA (Foreign Assets) Disclosure in ITR
Web Stories: Schedule FA (Foreign Assets) Disclosure in ITR
Official Income Tax Return filing website: https://incometaxindia.gov.in/