The changes stem from the July 2024 Union Budget, which revised income tax return (ITR) forms and added stricter requirements around proof of deductions.
“Form 16 will largely follow the same format,” said Sandeep Sehgal, Partner–Tax, AKM Global. “But salaried taxpayers must now keep supporting proofs for deductions and exemptions, especially under the old tax regime.”
The Income Tax Department has notified the updated forms, and the return filing deadline has been extended to September 15 this year. However, experts warn that missing documentation could lead to your deductions being disallowed.
Taxpayers should maintain digital or physical copies of all deduction-related documents, including:
- Section 80C investment proofs (like ELSS, PPF, LIC)
- HRA rent receipts
- Home loan interest certificates
The new ITR forms ask for more detailed data, and in case of scrutiny, the absence of supporting evidence may lead to penalties or rejections.
Why Form 16 still matters?
Form 16 is a vital TDS certificate issued by employers. It has two parts:
Part A includes employer and employee details, PAN, TAN, and a summary of tax deducted.
Part B shows the salary breakup, exempt allowances, and deductions.
If you changed jobs during the year, you’ll get separate Part A documents from each employer. If lost, you can request a duplicate copy from your employer.
Without Form 16, filing accurate tax returns becomes difficult, especially if TDS and salary details are not manually tracked.
First Published: Jun 6, 2025 4:17 PM IST
