ITR Filing Alert: What to Do If You Have Form 16 From Multiple Employers; Check This Before Filling Your ITR

The Income Tax Return filing season is here and many salaried taxpayers who changed jobs during FY 2025-26 are struggling on how to handle multiple Form 16s while filing their returns. Tax experts say that employees who switched jobs during the financial year should collect Form 16 from every employer they worked with and carefully combine the details before filing their ITR.

Why You May Receive More Than One Form 16

If you changed jobs during the financial year, each employer who paid you a salary and deducted Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) is required to issue a separate Form 16 for the period you worked with them.

For example, if you worked at Company A from April to September and joined Company B in October, both companies should issue separate Form 16 certificates covering their respective employment periods.

The previous employer will provide Form 16 for the salary paid during the initial months of the financial year, while the current employer will issue Form 16 for the remaining period.

What Is Form 16?

Form 16 is a TDS certificate issued by employers that contains details of salary income, tax deductions, exemptions claimed, and TDS deposited with the Income Tax Department. It is one of the most important documents for salaried taxpayers while filing their income tax returns.

However, taxpayers who switched jobs need to ensure that salary income from all employers is reported correctly to avoid tax notices or discrepancies later.

How to File ITR If You Have Multiple Form 16s

Taxpayers who have worked for more than one employer during the financial year should follow a few simple steps:

Step 1: Collect Form 16 from every employer.
Step 2: Add together the salary income reported in all Form 16s.
Step 3: Combine the TDS deducted by each employer.
Step 4: Verify the figures with Form 26AS and the Annual Information Statement (AIS).
Step 5: Report the consolidated income while filing the ITR.
Experts recommend checking Form 26AS and AIS carefully because they reflect taxes deposited against your PAN and help identify any mismatch between employer-reported data and tax department records.

What If Your Previous Employer Does Not Issue Form 16?

In some cases, employees may face delays in receiving Form 16 from a former employer. However, this does not prevent them from filing their income tax return.

Taxpayers can use salary slips, bank statements showing salary credits, appointment letters, relieving letters, Form 26AS, and AIS to calculate their taxable income and file returns.

That said, if TDS has been deducted from salary, the employer is legally required to issue Form 16, and employees should continue following up with the organization for the certificate.

Common Mistake That Can Lead to Extra Tax Demand

One of the most common errors among job-switchers is assuming that the current employer has automatically considered income earned from the previous employer. If details of earlier salary income are not disclosed to the new employer, tax may be deducted incorrectly, resulting in a tax liability at the time of filing the ITR.

To avoid surprises, taxpayers should review all salary and TDS details carefully before submitting their returns.