What Is TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) and How to Check Your Deductions
TDS shows up on every payslip and most bank interest, but few people check whether the right amount was actually deducted — here's what it is and where to verify it.
TCTechToolsCenter TeamTDS (Tax Deducted at Source) is income tax collected upfront by whoever pays you, rather than you paying it all yourself at the end of the year. Your employer deducts it from salary, your bank deducts it from fixed deposit interest above a threshold, and various other payers deduct it on rent, professional fees and more — each depositing it with the government on your behalf under your PAN.
Why TDS exists
TDS spreads tax collection across the year instead of leaving it all to a lump-sum payment (or a lump-sum evasion risk) at filing time. It's not a separate tax on top of your income tax — it's a prepayment of it. When you file your ITR, the tax already deducted via TDS is credited against your actual tax liability for the year; you either get a refund if too much was deducted, or pay the balance if too little was.
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Common situations where TDS applies
- Salary — your employer deducts TDS every month based on your estimated annual income, tax regime and declared deductions.
- Fixed deposit interest — banks deduct TDS if your interest income from them crosses the exemption threshold in a year.
- Rent — tenants paying above a certain monthly rent are required to deduct TDS before paying their landlord.
- Professional or freelance fees — clients paying above a threshold for professional services deduct TDS before payment.
Step-by-step: checking your TDS deductions
- Log in to the official Income Tax e-filing portal (incometax.gov.in) with your PAN.
- Download Form 26AS or the Annual Information Statement (AIS) — both show every TDS entry deposited against your PAN, by deductor.
- Cross-check the total against your Form 16 (for salary) or your bank/client's TDS certificate (Form 16A for non-salary deductions).
- Flag any mismatch with the deductor directly — if they deducted TDS but didn't deposit it correctly against your PAN, it won't show up as credit when you file, even though it was taken from your payment.
Can you reduce TDS deducted upfront?
If your total annual income is below the taxable threshold, you can submit Form 15G (or Form 15H if you're a senior citizen) to banks to prevent TDS deduction on interest income altogether, rather than deducting it and claiming it back as a refund later. For salary, submitting accurate investment/deduction declarations to your employer at the start of the year reduces the TDS deducted monthly instead of overpaying and waiting for a refund.
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Frequently asked questions
No — it's a prepayment of your income tax, deducted upfront by whoever pays you. It's credited against your actual tax liability when you file your ITR, not charged separately.
TechToolsCenter Team
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The team behind TechToolsCenter — building fast, private, browser-based tools and writing practical guides on how to get the most out of them.
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