Income Tax Forms Will Be renumbered from 1 April 2026

Income Tax Forms under the New Income Tax Act, 2025, will Be Renumbered from 1 April 2026

Under the new Income Tax Act, 2025, nearly all commonly used income tax forms—especially salary, TDS, Income Tax Forms TCS, audit, and reporting forms—will receive new form numbers starting FY 2026–27. This is part of a structural, administrative reform, not a change in tax policy.

Only the form numbers are changing under the new Income-tax Act, 2025. Multiple reputable sources confirm that purpose, contents, reporting requirements, and timelines remain the same. This is not a new tax burden; it’s simply a renumbering exercise. The change aims to Align all forms with the new Income‑tax Act, 2025 structure. Simplify compliance, and modernise digital integration

Major Form Number Changes : Purpose remains the same; only income tax form numbers change. These changes are part of the Income-tax Act, 2025, and Draft Rules 2026 to streamline India’s tax system. Below are the key renumberings confirmed across Economic Times, Zee News, News18, and other financial sources. Salary & TDS/TCS Related Forms

Old Form income tax Forms	New Form new Income-tax Act, 2025	Purpose of change the new income tax form
Form 16	Form 130	Salary TDS Certificate issued by employer
Form 24Q	Form 138	Quarterly TDS Return – Salary
Form 26Q	Form 140	Quarterly TDS Return – Non‑salary payments
Form 27Q	Form 144	TDS for non‑residents (other than salary)
Form 27EQ (TCS)	Form 143	TCS Return (Tax Collected at Source)
Form 26AS	Form 168	Tax credit statement (Annual Information Statement equivalent)

Additional Renumbering (For Audit & Business Filings) : These are also part of the renumbering but are relevant mainly for professionals and businesses:

• Forms 3CA, 3CB, 3CD → New Income Tax Form 26 (Tax Audit Report)
• Form 16A → New Income Tax Form 131 (TDS certificate for non‑salary)
• Form 3CEB → New Income Tax Form 48 (Transfer Pricing Report)

Until FY 2025–26, old form numbers (Form 16, Form 26AS, etc.) will continue.

From FY 2026–27 (1 April 2026 onwards): New form numbers (Form 130, Form 168, etc.) will be used for all filings. Old form numbers will still apply for past years’ assessments AND appeals/past notices. The government wants to modernise and reorganise the tax system, Reduce outdated numbering inherited from the 1961 Act, standardize compliance, and enable better integration with digital systems

Most affected by income tax forms are salaried employees (new Form 130 instead of Form 16), employers (new TDS return forms), professionals/CAs (audit forms consolidated), and companies (updated compliance formats). A summary of income tax forms is mentioned here under From 1 April 2026:

• Old Income tax Form 16 → New Income Tax Form 130
• Old Income tax Form 24Q → New Income Tax Form 138
• Old Income tax Form 26Q → New Income Tax Form 140
• Old Income tax Form 27Q → New Income Tax Form 144
• Old Income tax Form 27EQ → New Income Tax Form 143
• Old Income tax Form 26AS → New Income Tax Form 168