What Is AIS and How Do I Check It Before Filing ITR?

I usually download my AIS a few days before filing my ITR and compare it with my own documents.

My checklist is fairly simple:

• Compare salary with Form 16.
• Match TDS with Form 26AS.
• Verify bank interest.
• Check dividend entries.
• Review mutual fund and share transactions.
• Confirm tax payments.

One year I noticed duplicate interest reported by a financial institution. I didn't ignore it—I verified the figures first before filing. If something doesn't seem right, it's better to investigate rather than assume the AIS is always correct. Information reported to the tax department can also be revised over time.

For me, the biggest difference between AIS and Form 26AS was the amount of information available.

Form 26AS mainly helped me verify TDS and tax payments, while AIS also showed items like savings account interest, dividend income, securities transactions, and mutual fund transactions reported by different institutions.

Last year, one mutual fund redemption appeared in AIS before I had updated my own tax working. It reminded me to calculate the capital gains correctly before filing the return.

I wouldn't copy everything blindly from AIS, though. If you notice something that looks incorrect, it's worth checking your records because reporting entities can sometimes make mistakes or submit revised information.

I made the mistake of ignoring my AIS last year and almost missed reporting FD interest from a bank account I rarely use.

When I logged into the Income Tax e-Filing portal and opened the AIS section, I noticed interest income that wasn't in the spreadsheet I maintain. It matched what the bank had reported, so I updated my return before filing.

Since then, checking AIS has become part of my filing routine. I still compare it with my Form 16 and Form 26AS because sometimes information is updated at different times, but AIS gives a much more complete picture of the financial transactions reported against your PAN.