Quick answer: The Income Tax Act 2025 gives almost every tax form a new number from Tax Year 2026-27 (starting April 1, 2026). Form 16 becomes Form 130, Form 26AS becomes Form 168, and Forms 15G/15H merge into a single Form 121. Your FY 2025-26 paperwork still uses the old names. Your tax amount does not change — only the form numbers and a few formats.
If you have filed income tax in India for even one year, you know the old form names by heart: Form 16 from your employer, Form 26AS from the tax portal, Form 15G or 15H at the bank. From April 1, 2026, all of these get new numbers under the Income Tax Act 2025 and the Income-tax Rules, 2026.
This is a renumbering, not a new tax. The forms do the same job they always did. But if you go looking for “Form 16” after the change and find only “Form 130”, you should not panic — this guide maps every old form to its new number so you always know what you are looking at.
The complete old-to-new form number table
Keep this table handy. These mappings are consistent across the CBDT framework, the Economic Times, TaxGuru, and CA Club India coverage of the new rules.
| Old form (1961 Act) | New form (2025 Act) | What it is | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form 16 | Form 130 | Annual TDS certificate for salary | Salaried employees, pensioners |
| Form 16A | Form 131 | TDS certificate for non-salary income (interest, rent, fees) | Anyone with TDS on non-salary income |
| Form 24Q | Form 138 | Quarterly TDS return for salary payments | Employers and deductors |
| Form 26Q | Form 140 | Quarterly TDS return for resident non-salary payments | Deductors (banks, companies) |
| Form 27Q | Form 144 | Quarterly TDS return for payments to non-residents | Deductors paying NRIs/foreign parties |
| Form 27EQ | Form 143 | Quarterly TCS statement | TCS collectors |
| Form 15G / 15H | Form 121 | Self-declaration for nil TDS | Depositors, investors, retirees |
| Form 26AS | Form 168 | Annual tax information statement (Tax Passbook) | Every taxpayer |
| Form 13 | Form 128 | Application for lower or nil TDS/TCS certificate | Taxpayers seeking lower deduction |
| Form 15CA | Form 145 | Declaration for foreign remittance | Anyone remitting money abroad |
| Form 15CB | Form 146 | Accountant certificate for taxable foreign remittance | Remitters (via CA) |
| Form 26QB / 26QC / 26QD / 26QE | Form 141 | Unified TDS reporting for specified transactions | Property buyers, rent payers |
| Form 3CA / 3CB / 3CD | Form 26 | Merged tax audit report | Businesses under tax audit |
| Form 10E | Form 39 | Relief on salary arrears | Employees receiving arrears |
| Form 12BB | Form 124 | Employee investment and expense declaration | Salaried employees |
| Form 49A / 49AA | Forms 93-96 | PAN application (by applicant category) | New PAN applicants |
What is Form 130? (the new Form 16)
Form 130 is the new name of Form 16 — the annual TDS certificate your employer gives you. It certifies the tax deducted from your salary under Section 392 of the Income Tax Act 2025 (the new number for old Section 192). If you want the full section-number story, see our verified old-vs-new section numbers table.
Three things are worth knowing about Form 130:
1. It covers more people. Besides salaried employees, specified senior citizens (75 years and above) who opt for their bank to compute tax on pension and interest income under Section 393(1) also get a Form 130 — issued by the bank, not an employer.
2. It has three parts now. Old Form 16 had Part A (employer/employee details and TDS summary) and Part B (salary computation). Form 130 has Parts A, B, and C, with annexures carrying the detailed computation of salary, exemptions, deductions, and final tax liability.
3. It comes only from TRACES. Your employer must file the quarterly TDS return in the new Form 138 and then download Form 130 from the TRACES portal (tdscpc.gov.in). You cannot download it yourself from the income tax portal — if your employer delays the Form 138 filing, your Form 130 gets delayed too. It is issued by 15 June each year. The first Form 130 will arrive around June 2027, for Tax Year 2026-27.
What is Form 168? (the new Form 26AS)
Form 168 replaces Form 26AS as your annual tax information statement. Like 26AS, it is linked to your PAN and shows TDS, TCS, advance tax, self-assessment tax, and refunds.
The difference: Form 168 is designed as a single “Tax Passbook” that merges the old 26AS data with AIS (Annual Information Statement) data. So it tracks far more than tax credits — salary, rent, stock market trades, and large financial transactions linked to your PAN appear in one place. Before filing your ITR, always match your return against Form 168. A mismatch between what you report and what Form 168 shows is one of the most common reasons for tax notices.
What is Form 121? (the new 15G/15H)
Forms 15G and 15H are gone. In their place comes a single Form 121 — the self-declaration you file with your bank, mutual fund, or other payer to stop TDS when your total income is below the taxable limit. It sits under Section 393(6) of the new Act and Rule 211 of the Income-tax Rules, 2026.
The big change is that Form 121 is age-neutral. Earlier, people below 60 filed 15G and senior citizens filed 15H. Now everyone files the same Form 121. Each declaration gets a single Unique Identification Number (UIN) that tracks it across all your accounts, so one declaration can cover all your deposits instead of a separate form for every bank.
Form 121 covers interest on deposits, dividends, rent, PF withdrawals, mutual fund income, insurance payouts, and insurance commission. It is open to resident individuals, HUFs, and specified entities — companies, firms, and non-residents cannot file it.
Is Form 16 still valid in 2026?
Yes — for the right year. This is the question that confuses most people, so here is the clear rule:
- FY 2025-26 (April 2025 – March 2026): old forms apply. The Form 16 your employer issues in June 2026 is still called Form 16. When you file your ITR in 2026 for FY 2025-26, everything uses old names and old sections.
- Tax Year 2026-27 (April 2026 – March 2027): new forms apply. Quarterly filings from April 2026 onward use the new numbers, and the salary certificate issued in June 2027 will be Form 130.
The new Act also replaces the old “Financial Year / Assessment Year” pair with a single concept called Tax Year. So “Tax Year 2026-27” simply means income earned between April 1, 2026 and March 31, 2027.
What changed vs what stayed the same
What changed:
- Form numbers across the board (see the table above).
- Several forms merged: 3CA/3CB/3CD into one Form 26; 26QB/26QC/26QD/26QE into one Form 141.
- Form 130 is generated only through TRACES — no more employer-prepared manual certificates.
- One age-neutral Form 121 replaces the 15G/15H split, with a single UIN per declaration.
- Form 168 merges 26AS and AIS data into one Tax Passbook.
- “Previous Year” and “Assessment Year” are replaced by the single term “Tax Year”.
What stayed the same:
- The purpose of every form — a TDS certificate is still a TDS certificate.
- TDS rates and thresholds — the renumbering does not change how much tax is deducted.
- Who issues what — your employer still issues your salary certificate; you still check your own tax statement.
- Issue timelines — Form 130 still comes by 15 June, like Form 16 did.
What this means for you
Salaried employees: nothing to do right now. From June 2027, expect “Form 130” instead of “Form 16” from your HR. If your company’s payroll portal still says Form 16 in mid-2027, flag it to HR — their software needs updating.
Employers and HR teams: the most work falls on you. Switch quarterly TDS returns to Form 138 from the April–June 2026 quarter, confirm your payroll software supports Form 130, and make sure you are registered on TRACES. April 2026 payroll sits on the transition line — March payments fall under the old Act, April payments under the new one — so reconcile carefully.
Senior citizens: simpler life. One Form 121 for all ages, one UIN tracking it across accounts. If you used to juggle 15G and 15H across banks, this is genuinely easier.
Anyone filing 15G/15H at banks: submit Form 121 from April 2026 onward. Old 15G/15H forms will not be accepted for Tax Year 2026-27 declarations.
Frequently asked questions
What is the new name of Form 16?
Form 16 is now Form 130. It is the annual TDS certificate for salary, issued by your employer under Section 392 of the Income Tax Act 2025. The content and purpose are the same as Form 16; only the number, legal references, and format changed.
From which date do the new form numbers apply?
From April 1, 2026 — the start of Tax Year 2026-27 under the Income Tax Act 2025. All filings for FY 2025-26 and earlier years continue to use the old form numbers and old section numbers.
What is Form 168 and how is it different from Form 26AS?
Form 168 is the replacement for Form 26AS. It shows the same tax credits (TDS, TCS, advance tax, refunds), but it also merges AIS data, so it reflects your wider financial profile — salary, trades, large spends — linked to your PAN. Think of it as an upgraded, all-in-one Tax Passbook.
What is Form 121 and who can file it?
Form 121 is the single self-declaration that replaces Forms 15G and 15H. Resident individuals of any age, HUFs, and specified entities can file it to request nil TDS when their total income is below the taxable limit. Companies, firms, and non-residents are not eligible.
Is Form 15G still accepted after April 2026?
No. For Tax Year 2026-27 onward, banks and other payers accept only Form 121. Any 15G/15H submitted for the new tax year will not be valid. Declarations already filed for FY 2025-26 under the old forms remain valid for that year.
What should HR and payroll teams update?
Three things: (1) file quarterly salary TDS returns in Form 138 instead of 24Q from Q1 of Tax Year 2026-27; (2) confirm payroll software can generate Form 130 and that the team is registered on TRACES; (3) update all employee communication and templates that say “Form 16” to “Form 130”.
Where do I download Form 168?
From the income tax e-filing portal at incometax.gov.in, the same place you viewed Form 26AS. Log in with your PAN, go to the tax statement section, and select Form 168 for the relevant tax year.
Official sources
- incometax.gov.in — the income tax e-filing portal (Form 168, ITR filing).
- tdscpc.gov.in (TRACES) — where employers file TDS returns and download Form 130.
- incometaxindia.gov.in — CBDT website for the Income Tax Act 2025 and Income-tax Rules, 2026.
Related reading on this site: Income Tax Act 2025: old vs new section numbers — complete verified table and 80C is now Section 123.
Reviewed by Asuthod Rathod, CA
Last updated: October 11, 2026
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only and is not tax advice. Tax rules and forms change from time to time. Verify details on the official portals linked above or consult a qualified tax professional before acting.
Editorial byline for eircicai income tax guides — covering the Income Tax Act, 2025, section renumbering, regime comparison, and deductions. Content is reviewed by Asuthod Rathod, CA.