What is the most common Form 16 mistake?

Accepting the regime your employer applied without checking the alternative. Payroll picks a default; it is not a recommendation. For FY 2025-26 the right regime can differ by tens of thousands of rupees, so this is the first thing to verify.

I have two Form 16s from two employers. What do I do?

You must combine them. Each employer applies the basic exemption and standard deduction independently, so your tax may be under-deducted overall. Add both salaries, apply the deduction once, and recompute — you may owe additional tax or be due a different refund.

Can I claim deductions that are not on my Form 16?

Yes. Investments and payments you did not declare to your employer (or made after the declaration window) do not appear on Form 16 but can still be claimed when you file, with proof. This is one of the biggest sources of missed refunds.

What should I cross-check Form 16 against?

Your AIS and Form 26AS. The TDS in Form 16 Part A should reconcile with Form 26AS, and your overall income should be consistent with the AIS.

Filing season · AY 2026-27

Form 16 mistakes checklist: what to verify before filing

Form 16 is accurate about what your employer deducted — but it quietly leaves money on the table. Run through this checklist before you file your FY 2025-26 return.

Check my Form 16 Form 16 tax review

The mistakes that cost salaried filers money

Keeping the regime payroll defaulted to, without comparing old vs new on your numbers
Claiming only the 80C that ran through salary, ignoring later investments
Missing the ₹50,000 NPS deduction under 80CCD(1B)
Forgetting parents' health-insurance premium under 80D
Under-claiming HRA because rent was never recomputed
Not combining multiple Form 16s when you changed jobs
Ignoring the AIS, so interest and dividend income are left out

Verify these against Form 26AS and AIS

The TDS in Part A of your Form 16 should match Form 26AS. Your total income should be consistent with the AIS. If the TDS does not reconcile, your refund or balance due will be wrong — and a mismatch can surface later as a notice.

A wrong default is not your fault — but it is your bill

Payroll has to pick a regime to deduct tax through the year. If it picked the costlier one for your situation, you can still choose the cheaper regime when you file. Do not let the Form 16 default decide your tax.

Catch them automatically

DrishtiTax reads your Form 16, compares both regimes on your numbers, and flags the deductions you have not fully used — so the mistakes above are caught before you submit, not after.

Frequently asked questions

Educational information

This page is general information for salaried taxpayers in India, not legal, financial or chartered-accountancy advice. Tax outcomes depend on your full, individual circumstances. Figures use FY 2025-26 (AY 2026-27) rules and may change. Verify against official sources or a qualified professional before acting.

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The mistakes that cost salaried filers money

Verify these against Form 26AS and AIS

Catch them automatically

Frequently asked questions

Don't file your Form 16 mistakes

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