Passwords · Income tax
Passwords for AIS, TIS, ITR-V, Form 26AS and Form 16 PDFs
Most income tax PDFs open with your PAN in small letters plus your birth date as DDMMYYYY, like abcde1234f05031990. The exceptions, with sources.
HarshFounder, DoYourPDF3 min read
Most income tax PDFs open with your PAN in small letters followed by your date of birth as DDMMYYYY. PAN ABCDE1234F and a birth date of 5 March 1990 give abcde1234f05031990. That covers the AIS, the TIS, the ITR-V acknowledgement and the 143(1) intimation. Form 26AS and Form 16 work differently.
Passwords by document
| Document | Password | Example | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| AIS (PDF) | PAN in small letters + date of birth as DDMMYYYY | abcde1234f05031990 |
Income Tax Department |
| AIS (JSON file for the offline utility) | PAN in capitals + date of birth as DDMMYYYY | ABCDE1234F05031990 |
Income Tax Department |
| TIS (PDF) | Same as the AIS PDF | abcde1234f05031990 |
AIS user guide |
| ITR-V acknowledgement | PAN in small letters + date of birth as DDMMYYYY | abcde1234f05031990 |
ClearTax |
| Intimation under section 143(1) | PAN in small letters + date of birth as DDMMYYYY | abcde1234f05031990 |
Business Standard |
| Form 26AS (from TRACES) | Date of birth as DDMMYYYY | 05031990 |
TaxGuru |
| Form 16 from your employer | Set by your employer's software; no single rule | Check the email | |
| TDS certificate zip from TRACES (for the employer) | The deductor's TAN in capitals | ABCD12345E |
TaxGuru |
For a company, firm or trust, use the date of incorporation or formation where these say date of birth.
The two mistakes almost everyone makes
- Capital letters in the PAN. The AIS and ITR-V want small letters:
abcde1234f, notABCDE1234F. Only the AIS JSON file for the offline utility wants capitals. - A short date. Income tax PDFs use all eight digits:
05031990, not050390or0503.
Form 26AS and Form 16 are the odd ones out
Form 26AS comes from TRACES rather than the e-filing portal. Guides such as TaxGuru report your date of birth as DDMMYYYY; others say only the text version is protected. If one fails, try the other, or open it without a password.
Form 16 is issued by your employer, not the tax department. Part A is generated on TRACES, but the PDF you receive is usually made by your employer's payroll software, which sets its own password. The covering email normally explains it.
Filing with these files
The income tax department asks you not to upload files with password protection (Income Tax Department). To prepare documents for filing or for your CA:
- Unlock each file with Remove Password. The files stay on your device.
- Combine them into one PDF with Merge PDF if the portal or your CA wants a single file.
Questions people ask
What is the password of the AIS PDF?
Your PAN in small letters followed by your date of birth as DDMMYYYY, with no space. PAN ABCDE1234F and birth date 5 March 1990 give abcde1234f05031990. Companies and firms use their date of incorporation instead.
What is the password of the ITR-V acknowledgement?
Your PAN in small letters followed by your date of birth as DDMMYYYY, the same pattern as the AIS PDF.
What is the password of Form 26AS?
Your date of birth as DDMMYYYY, according to tax guides such as TaxGuru. Some guides say only the text download is protected, so the PDF may open without one.
What is the password of the Form 16 my employer sent?
There is no single rule, because your employer's payroll software sets it. The email that carried it usually says. Many use your PAN, sometimes with your date of birth.
Can I upload a password-protected PDF to the income tax portal?
No. The income tax department asks for files without password protection. Unlock a copy first with Remove Password.
Sources
- Income Tax Department: access AIS online
- Income Tax Department: access AIS offline
- AIS portal user guide
- ClearTax: ITR PDF password
- Business Standard: opening the tax department's intimation PDF
- TaxGuru: download Form 26AS
- TaxGuru: password-protected income tax and TDS files
- Income Tax Department: scanning documents