Switched jobs during FY26? Here's how to file ITR with multiple Form 16s and avoid tax notices

With the Income Tax Return (ITR) filing season for Assessment Year (AY) 2026-27 underway, many salaried taxpayers are gathering Form 16s, salary slips and bank statements to complete their returns. For those who changed jobs during FY 2025-26, however, tax filing requires additional care.

Employees who switched jobs during the financial year are likely to receive separate Form 16s from each employer. Tax experts say that while multiple Form 16s do not require filing separate returns, taxpayers must correctly consolidate salary income, tax deducted at source (TDS) and deductions before submitting their ITR.

More than one Form 16

Every employer who pays salary and deducts TDS is required to issue Form 16 for the period during which the employee worked with the company.

For example, if an employee worked with Company A from April to September and joined Company B in October, both companies will issue separate Form 16 certificates covering their respective periods of employment.

Even after an employee leaves an organisation, the previous employer remains responsible for issuing Form 16.

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What Is Form 16?

Form 16 is a TDS certificate issued by employers that contains details of salary paid, exemptions claimed, deductions allowed and taxes deposited with the Income Tax Department on behalf of the employee.

It is one of the most important documents used while filing income tax returns.

Multiple Form 16s

Taxpayers with more than one Form 16 should follow these steps:

Collect Form 16 from all employers.
Add salary income reported in each Form 16.
Consolidate TDS deducted by different employers.
Include income from bank deposits, capital gains, freelance work or any other sources.
Match the figures with Form 26AS, Annual Information Statement (AIS) and Taxpayer Information Summary (TIS).
Report the combined income in a single ITR.

Tax experts recommend verifying Form 26AS because it reflects taxes deposited against a taxpayer's PAN and helps identify any mismatch.

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Things to do

One of the most common mistakes made by job-switchers is failing to disclose salary earned from their previous employer.

If the current employer is unaware of earlier income, it may deduct TDS only on the salary being paid by it. This could result in lower tax deduction during the year and a tax liability when the employee files the ITR.

Employees can submit Form 12B to their new employer to declare salary and TDS details from the previous job.

Duplicate deductions

Another common error is claiming the standard deduction and tax-saving deductions twice.

Since both employers may separately calculate tax liability, deductions under Sections 80C, 80D and 80G, along with HRA exemption and standard deduction, could be considered more than once. Taxpayers should review these claims carefully and ensure they are availed only once while computing final tax liability.

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What if you don't receive Form 16?

A delay in receiving Form 16 from a former employer does not prevent taxpayers from filing returns.

Salary slips, bank statements showing salary credits, Form 26AS and AIS can be used to calculate income and file the return. However, experts advise following up with the previous employer, as issuing Form 16 after deducting TDS is a statutory obligation.

Reviewing all salary and tax details before filing can help taxpayers avoid notices, additional tax demands and delays in processing refunds.

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