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Form 16 and Salary TDS: Step-by-Step Process Explained

27 July 2026 by
Form 16 and Salary TDS: Step-by-Step Process Explained
Gaurav Kumar

Understanding Form 16 and Salary TDS — the certificate an employer issues summarizing salary paid and tax deducted at source during the financial year — starts with knowing exactly what the process involves. Here's a step-by-step breakdown for salaried employees and the employers responsible for issuing it.

Step 1

Employees submit investment declarations at the start of the year.

Step 2

Employer computes and deducts TDS based on declared investments.

Step 3

TDS is deposited and reported in quarterly TDS returns.

Step 4

Form 16 is generated and issued after year-end, once the last quarter is filed.

Documents to Keep Ready

Before starting, it helps to have these ready so the process moves without unnecessary back-and-forth:

  • Salary structure and components for the year
  • Investment declarations submitted by the employee
  • TDS deposited each quarter against the employee's PAN
  • Reconciliation with the employer's TDS return
  • Form 16 Part A (TDS summary) and Part B (salary breakup)
  • Cross-check against Form 26AS/AIS

What to Watch Out For

Employees under-declaring investments leading to higher TDS — this is one of the most frequent slip-ups at this stage, so it's worth double-checking before you proceed.

Need Help With This?

Leegal's team handles registration, compliance, and advisory work like this end-to-end, with transparent pricing and a dedicated point of contact throughout.

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