You download Form 26AS from the Income Tax portal. Double click the PDF. And it asks for a password. You sit there wondering — what password? I did not set any password.
I have been there. It is annoying. But here is the thing — the password is actually really simple. Once you know it, you will never get stuck again.
What Is Form 26AS?
Form 26AS is the Income Tax Department’s record of all tax payments tied to your PAN. It shows:
- TDS deducted from your salary
- TCS collected
- Advance tax and self-assessment tax you paid yourself
- Refunds issued
Before filing ITR, you need to match this against your Form 16 and bank statements. If there is a mismatch, the department notices. And notices from the IT department are never pleasant.
The Password
Here it is:
Your date of birth in DDMMYYYY format.
Eight digits. No spaces, no slashes, no dashes. Nothing fancy.
| Your DOB | Password |
|---|---|
| 15 March 1985 | 15031985 |
| 1 January 1990 | 01011990 |
| 10 August 1995 | 10081995 |
Pay attention to the zero. January is 01, not 1. August is 08. Small detail, but it trips people up.
One more thing: Some systems also accept PAN (lowercase) followed by DOB. So abcde1234f15031985. If the normal password does not work, try this.
How to Get Form 26AS — 3 Ways
Way 1: Income Tax Portal (What Most People Use)
- Head to incometax.gov.in. Log in with your PAN.
- Go to E-File > Income Tax Returns > View Form 26AS
- Accept the disclaimer. You will land on TRACES.
- Click “View Tax Credit (Form 26AS)”
- Pick your Assessment Year. For FY 2025-26, choose AY 2026-27.
- Select HTML under “View As” (no password needed here)
- Click View/Download, then Export as PDF
- Open the PDF and enter your DOB in DDMMYYYY format
Way 2: Net Banking
Do not feel like logging into the Income Tax portal? Use net banking. Your PAN just needs to be linked to your bank account.
SBI, HDFC, ICICI, Axis — almost all major banks support this. Log into net banking, look for “Tax Credit Statement” or “Form 26AS”, and you will be redirected to TRACES.
Way 3: TRACES Directly
Already have a TRACES account? Go to tdscpc.gov.in, log in as “Taxpayer”, and grab your Form 26AS directly.
Common Issues and How to Fix Them
The “Wrong Password” Error
- Are you using DDMMYYYY? Not DD-MM-YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY.
- Missing a zero? 5 January is 05011990, not 511990.
- Still failing? Try PAN (lowercase) + DOB. abcde1234f05011990.
PDF Seems Corrupt
Downloads get corrupted sometimes. Redownload it. This time, view it in HTML first, then use “Export as PDF” from there.
Do Not Know Your DOB?
Use the HTML view. No password needed. The entire statement shows up right in your browser.
PDF Opens But Has No Data
You probably picked the wrong Assessment Year. For FY 2025-26, select AY 2026-27. Easy mistake.
AIS vs Form 26AS
AIS (Annual Information System) is more detailed. It includes mutual fund investments, property deals, and high-value spends. But for ITR filing, Form 26AS reconciliation matters more.
Also, AIS password is different. It uses PAN (lowercase) + DOB (DDMMYYYY). Do not confuse the two.
Bottom Line
Form 26AS password is just your DOB in DDMMYYYY format. Eight digits. That is it.
Reconcile your Form 26AS before filing ITR. Two minutes of your time can save you from a long email from the tax department.
Still stuck? Leave a comment. And please — check your tax credit statement before hitting submit on your ITR.
This is for educational purposes only. Consult a qualified financial advisor for personalized advice.
