An Annual Information Statement (AIS) is a consolidated financial statement from the Income Tax Department that tracks your investments, high-value transactions, foreign remittances, and tax deductions across a financial year. It pulls this data from banks, employers, and other reporting entities, giving you one place to check everything before you file. Reviewing your AIS statement carefully, well before filing your return, helps you catch mismatches early and avoid an unwanted notice later.
What is Annual Information Statement’s Purpose?
The AIS exists to bring transparency to tax filing and give both you and the department the same version of your financial year.
Think of it as a diary that the department builds automatically, using data reported by banks, mutual fund houses, registrars, and other institutions. It draws information from these institutional sources and organises it into two parts: your general identifying details and a detailed record of your tax-relevant transactions. The statement serves a dual purpose here. It gives the government a clear read on your actual financial activity and gives you an accurate reference for filing a clean, error-free return.
How Does the AIS Differ From a Traditional Form 26AS?
Form 26AS covers tax deducted at source, tax collected at source, and direct tax payments. The AIS statement covers all of that plus your investment portfolios and annual transaction history.
The table below lays out the key differences.
| Feature | Form 26AS | Annual Information Statement (AIS) |
| Primary scope | TDS, TCS, and direct tax payments | Full financial portfolio and transaction history |
| High-value transactions | Only specific ones reported via SFT | All major and minor financial activity across assets |
| Savings interest | Usually not included | Interest across every bank account |
| Investments | No mutual fund or equity trade data | Mutual fund purchases, equity sales, dividends, demat activity |
| Feedback option | None, it’s a fixed document | Fully interactive, lets you dispute incorrect entries online |
What Financial Information is Logged Inside Your AIS Profile?
Your AIS splits into two clear parts: your identifying details and your actual financial transactions.
Part A: General Information
This covers your PAN card, Aadhaar number, legal name, date of birth or incorporation, registered mobile number, and email address.
Part B: Financial Transactions
- TDS/TCS: Entries reported by employers, clients, or banks
- Specified Financial Transactions (SFT): High-value activity like large cash deposits or big credit card payments
- Tax payments: Advance tax, self-assessment tax, and regular assessment payments
- Demand and refund records: Any refunds issued or demands raised in past assessments
- Other records: Savings interest, fixed deposit earnings, mutual fund and equity transactions, foreign remittances, and dividend income
How Can You Download Your AIS Statement Online?
You can download your AIS directly from the income tax e-filing portal, and it’s available in both an interactive web view and a downloadable PDF. Here’s how:
- Log in to the Income Tax e-Filing portal using your PAN and password.
- Click the ‘Services’ tab on the main dashboard.
- Select ‘Annual Information Statement (AIS)’ and click ‘Proceed’ to move to the dedicated AIS portal.
- Choose the assessment year you want to review.
- Click the ‘AIS’ tile, then download the PDF or JSON file.
What is the Password to Open an AIS PDF?
The AIS PDF is password-protected, and the password follows the same format used across most income tax documents: your PAN in lowercase, followed immediately by your date of birth (or incorporation date) in DDMMYYYY format.
For example, a PAN of ABCDE1234F with a date of birth of 15 August 1990 gives you the password abcde1234f15081990.
How to Submit Feedback for Incorrect AIS Entries?
You can dispute an incorrect entry directly through the AIS portal, without filing a formal appeal. If a transaction doesn’t belong to you, or a reporting entity has logged something twice, the portal lets you flag it right there. Here’s the process:
- Open the AIS viewer on the e-filing portal.
- Expand the relevant category under Part B and find the entry in question.
- Click ‘Optional Feedback’ next to that transaction.
- Choose the accurate feedback tag, such as “Information is denied,” “Information is duplicate,” or “Information is correct.”
- Submit it. The portal generates a confirmation instantly and updates your Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS) to reflect the change.
Read More: ITR Filing Last Date FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27)
Conclusion
Checking your AIS before filing keeps your return aligned with what the department already has on record. Catching a mismatch early saves you from scrutiny, penalties, or an automated notice you didn’t see coming.
Plus, a clean, accurate AIS builds a transparent financial history for you or your business, and that transparency matters when you’re raising growth capital. At Lendingkart, we simplify the next step with a 100% digital application process that eliminates the usual paperwork. Businesses can secure collateral-free loans quickly, with minimal documentation and approval timelines built for speed. Repayment options are structured around your actual cash flow, so your capital lines up with your seasonal revenue instead of working against it. For business owners who’ve just reconciled their AIS and are now planning their next funding move, we turn that clean financial record into fast, accessible credit.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happens if I find an error in my AIS but ignore it while filing my ITR?
If your ITR contradicts uncorrected AIS data, the system flags the mismatch automatically. This usually triggers a notice under Section 270 (previously Section 143(1)) for underreporting income.
2. How long does it take for the portal to update after submitting feedback?
The portal updates your Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS) almost immediately after you submit feedback. Your estimated taxable values reflect the change in real time.
3. Can a business owner use the AIS statement as a substitute for a P&L account?
No. The AIS tracks reported institutional transactions, not internal operating costs, depreciation, or full cash sales. It works as a verification tool, not an accounting record.
4. Does the AIS include cash transactions?
Yes, to an extent. Large cash deposits, withdrawals, and cash-based purchases above the reporting threshold show up under Specified Financial Transactions (SFT), even though routine day-to-day cash spending isn’t tracked.
5. What’s the difference between AIS and TIS?
TIS, or Taxpayer Information Summary, is a simplified, category-wise summary derived from your AIS. Most people use the TIS to pre-fill their return, while the AIS shows the underlying transaction-level detail.
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