ITR Filing 2026: When Will You Get Form 16 & Can You File ITR Without It?

ITR Filing 2026: If you are a salaried employee and are getting ready to file your Income Tax Return (ITR) for the assessment year 2026-27, you are likely waiting for one document before you start – Form 16. With the Income Tax Department already having online filing utilities for a number of taxpayer categories, many employees are wondering whether they should wait for Form 16 or go ahead and file their return. The good news is that you can still file your ITR even if you don’t have Form 16. But tax experts say that having this document can make the whole filing process smoother, help reduce mistakes and ensure that the tax details reported in your return match the records available with the Income Tax Department.

Form 16 – When will you get it?

Form 16 will need to be issued by the employers on 15th June, 2026, for the FY 2025–26.

In the majority of the companies, usually Form 16 is issued by the first week of June. Usually companies file their quarterly TDS return for the quarter January-March; thereafter, they issue Form 16. However, some employers may issue the certificate closer to the June 15 deadline.

So if you’re checking your inbox every day looking for Form 16, don’t worry — there is still time.

What is Form 16?

Form 16 is your tax report for salary.

This is the TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) certificate of your employee, which shows your income tax that has been deducted from your salary and remitted to the government in respect of your income.

You may not need to file for an income tax return, but for salaried persons this is one of the very important documents which clearly shows salary earned, deductions made and tax paid.

What does Form 16 depict?

Form 16 is divided into two parts.

Part A. General Tax Information

Part A includes key information like this:

PAN and TAN of Employer
PAN of employee
Senior service
Quarterly details for TDS
Tax paid to government.

Part B: Calculations of Salary and Taxes

Part B provides a breakdown of:

Salary received in the year:
Allowances and reliefs
Deductions claimed under Section 80C, 80D and others
Computation of taxable income
Details of tax liability, rebate and relief

These two sections together give you the complete picture of your salary income and tax deductions for the year.

Can you file an ITR without Form 16?

Yes, you indeed can.

Form 16 is not a must to file your income tax returns. If you have not obtained a certificate from your employer, you can still furnish your returns by furnishing details in different other tax documents and returns.

However, it’s important that you maintain careful vigilance in stating your income and claim TDS.

Form 16 Replacements

If Form 16 gets delayed, keep these documents ready

Salary slips per month
Form 26AS.
AIS (Annual Information Statement)
Summary of Taxpayer Information (TIS)
Bank Statements
Fixed deposit & savings account interest certificate
Proofs of investment
Home loan interest certificates (if applicable)

These documents may be used to compute the amount of taxable income, to verify previously paid amounts of taxes and to check that all income has been declared.

Form 16: Why tax experts suggest waiting

Technically, you can file your return even without Form 16. But, experts suggest, wait for it unless you are in immediate need.

Easy. Form 16 gives details of your salary, deductions and TDS in a single place, making it easier to reconcile details and also minimising chances of error.

Individuals drawing a salary and having only one income source can prevent a lot of complications later by waiting for a few extra days.

Don’t ignore Form 26AS and AIS checks

Even after you get Form 16, do not file your return blindly.

Tax experts suggest taxpayers check the details mentioned in Form 16 with Form 26AS and the Annual Information Statement (AIS). This helps ensure that:

TDS credits are appearing correctly
Interest income has been recorded
Precise capture of high-value transactions
No mismatches that could result in notices or delay refunds

Quick Checklist Before Filing Your ITR

Before you hit the submit button, make sure that:

Verify PAN, Aadhaar, and bank account information
Reconcile Form 26AS with Match TDS Entries
Interest income from FD and checking savings account
Check all deductions are correctly claimed
Select the appropriate tax regime
Carefully check the return for mistakes

A few minutes of review can save you from refund delays, notices and having to file a revised return later.

Can an employee download Form 16 on their own?

No. Employees cannot download Form 16 from the Income Tax Department portal directly. The employer can only generate the certificate through the TRACES portal and share it with the employees.

If your company generated the document, you might receive it before the June 15 deadline. Or else you will have to wait for it from your employer.

When is the due date to file an ITR for AY 2026-27?

The tax return for financial year 2025-26 (assessment year 2026-27) is to be filed by 31st July 2026 by those employees who are not liable to audit their books.

Now that the employer would be furnishing Form 16 by June 15, one would be given more than 6 weeks to get the details in place to be filed.

Also Read: ITR Filing FY 2025–26 Explained: Key Deadlines, Penalties, and What Taxpayers Must Know for AY 2026–27

Form 16 or not, accuracy matters when filing your ITR

If you are waiting for Form 16, you may not want to panic; your IT return can be filed using other supporting documents like Form 26AS, AIS, and salary slips. But for ease of doing business and greater accuracy, one should have a Form 16 for ITR filing. After double-checking the entries in Form 16, one should verify all the income streams and then file the return much before July 31, 2026.

Also Read: ITR-1 Or ITR-4? Check Which Income Tax Return Form You Are Eligible To File For AY 2026-27

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