For an original online TDS or TCS statement, start in TRACES but complete the filing on the Income Tax Department’s e-Filing site. A TRACES-registered deductor uses Dashboard > Quick Links > Register at e-filing site, follows the redirect, registers once, and then signs in directly to e-Filing for later uploads. Aadhaar OTP can authenticate an upload; a digital signature certificate (DSC) is not mandatory for this route.
Before preparing the file, identify the transaction period and statement type. The 1 April 2026 changeover affects which law, section references and forms apply, and some transactions use a challan-cum-statement process instead of a regular quarterly statement.
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What you are actually filing
A regular TDS/TCS statement reports tax deducted or collected, the related challans and the deductee or collectee details for a defined period. The online original-statement route is hosted on the Income Tax e-Filing site; TRACES supplies the registration bridge and post-filing status and correction resources.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Do not assume every withholding transaction belongs in a regular quarterly return. The Income Tax Department identifies specified transactions that use a challan-cum-statement workflow. Confirm the applicable process for the transaction before creating a quarterly statement.
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Choose the period and statement type before opening the portal
The form depends on both the payment and the date on which the transaction occurred. The traditional quarterly forms are:
| Statement | Typical use | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Form 24Q | Salary TDS | Use only where the period and transaction remain governed by the applicable salary-statement rules. |
| Form 26Q | Specified payments other than salary to persons other than the specified non-resident category | Check the section and period before selecting the form. |
| Form 27Q | Specified payments to non-residents | Confirm that the recipient and payment fall within the non-resident statement rules. |
The Income Tax Department’s transition guidance draws a firm boundary at 1 April 2026:
- Transactions dated on or before 31 March 2026 continue under the old Act and its applicable forms.
- Transactions dated on or after 1 April 2026 use the new Act framework. For listed challan-cum-TDS statement transactions, the department refers to common Form 141.
- During the transition, preparation utilities and TRACES support old formats for periods through March 2026 and new formats from April 2026.
- An old section number used for a new-period return can cause a processing error.
Therefore, do not select a form solely because it was used for the previous quarter. Match the transaction date, recipient category, payment type and applicable section to the current instructions. If a payment falls into a challan-cum-statement category, follow that process rather than forcing it into Form 24Q, 26Q or 27Q.
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Gather the following information for the exact quarter or transaction period:
- The deductor’s valid TAN and the associated PAN details requested during registration.
- The statement period and whether the submission is an original statement or a correction.
- Payment dates, amounts, tax deducted or collected, and the sections used for each transaction.
- Challan particulars, including the challan information that must reconcile with the reported deductions.
- Correct deductee or collectee PAN details and the amounts allocated to each record.
- For salary statements, the required salary annexure information, including Annexure II where applicable.
- The preparation utility or file-generation method applicable to the selected period and form.
Validate the file before logging in. Check that totals reconcile to the challans, PANs are in the required format, dates belong to the selected period and the section references belong to the old or new framework. Portal acceptance does not replace your responsibility to apply the correct tax treatment; an uploaded statement can still require correction.
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Register the TAN for e-Filing through TRACES
If the deductor is already registered on TRACES
- Sign in to the TRACES deductor account.
- Open Dashboard.
- Under Quick Links, select Register at e-filing site.
- Follow the redirect to the Income Tax e-Filing site and complete the requested registration steps using the TAN and PAN information.
- Record the e-Filing login details and sign out securely.
After this one-time connection, a registered deductor can sign in to the e-Filing site directly for subsequent statement uploads. You do not need to return through the TRACES dashboard for every original filing.
If this is the first original filing and there is no TRACES registration
TRACES states that a first-time filer can be routed to e-Filing during the initial process. Enter the requested TAN and PAN details, complete the registration successfully and continue on e-Filing. The exact prompts can vary with the portal’s current workflow, so use the labels displayed after authentication rather than assuming the already-registered path.
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- Recheck every TAN and PAN character; a mismatch prevents the accounts from being associated.
- Use the deductor account and not a tax professional’s unrelated personal account when the portal asks for the filer identity.
- If the redirect does not open, sign out of both portals, start a fresh browser session and repeat the dashboard path.
- Do not create duplicate registrations simply because an earlier redirect was slow. First verify whether the e-Filing account was created.
Upload an original statement on e-Filing
Once the TAN is registered, use the e-Filing site for the online original submission.
- Sign in to the Income Tax e-Filing account associated with the deductor.
- Open the statement-upload area shown for TDS or TCS compliance.
- Select the statement type, financial year or tax period and the applicable form or new-framework option.
- Attach the prepared and validated statement file. Recheck the selected period against the dates in the file before submitting.
- Review the portal’s validation messages. Correct the source data and regenerate the file when the error concerns a challan, PAN, amount, date or section.
- Submit the statement and complete electronic authentication.
TRACES’ FAQ states: “Deductor can upload return at E-filing with the help of Aadhaar OTP as well.” This means Aadhaar OTP is an accepted authentication method for the online upload route. The same FAQ says DSC registration is not mandatory for that route. If the portal offers more than one authentication method, choose the one available to the registered deductor and complete it before the session expires.
TRACES also states that no fee is charged for filing an e-TDS or e-TCS statement on e-Filing. That statement concerns the filing service itself; it does not remove a statutory late fee where a statement is submitted after its due date.
Quarterly due dates and the late-filing fee
TRACES gives these general due dates for regular quarterly TDS statements by government and non-government deductors:
| Quarter | Period covered | General due date shown by TRACES |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 1 April–30 June | 31 July |
| Q2 | 1 July–30 September | 31 October |
| Q3 | 1 October–31 December | 31 January |
| Q4 | 1 January–31 March | 31 May |
These are general dates, not a promise that no extension will apply. Check a later notification for the particular year, statement type and class of deductor before relying on a date.
TRACES states a fee of ₹200 per day under section 234E for filing after the deadline. The older official procedure document describes a cap at the amount of tax deductible at source and says the fee must be paid before furnishing the statement. Apply the rule for the governing tax period and current law; do not treat ₹200 as a filing charge or as a replacement for any other statutory consequence.
When a deadline has passed, calculate the applicable days and amount, arrange payment as required, then submit the statement. Keep the payment evidence with the filing records.
Save the acknowledgement and check processing
Do not close the session immediately after authentication. Save the acknowledgement or submission reference, the submitted file, the selected period and form, and any portal-generated confirmation. Store them with the challan and deductee records so a later correction can be tied to the exact original statement.
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For follow-up, use the deductor resources on TRACES:
- View Statement Status shows the progress or result of the statement submission.
- View Challan Status helps determine whether the challan information has been received and matched for the statement.
A submission acknowledgement is evidence that the file was submitted; it is not necessarily evidence that every record has passed processing. Check the statement and challan status after filing and investigate any error or unmatched item.
Correct a filed statement without guessing the route
Corrections are not one generic operation. Choose the tutorial and correction type that matches the error and the filing status:
| Problem | Relevant correction resource | What to verify first |
|---|---|---|
| Incorrect challan information | Online challan correction tutorial | Whether the challan is available for correction and which fields are permitted. |
| Incorrect deductee PAN | Online PAN correction tutorial | The correct PAN and supporting deductee record. |
| Challan omitted from the statement | Online “add a challan” tutorial | That the challan belongs to the same deductor and period. |
| Wrong deductee amount or transaction details | Online deductee-detail modification tutorial | The original record, corrected amount and resulting totals. |
| Online correction unavailable | Offline correction tutorial | The status message and the period-specific offline procedure. |
Before submitting a correction, download or record the original statement details and identify whether the error affects challan totals, deductee totals or both. A correction that changes one side without reconciling the other can create a new mismatch.
The Income Tax Department’s transition FAQ says legacy-period corrections may still be filed after 1 April 2026 under the old Act framework. Identify whether the original statement belongs to the old or new regime before choosing the correction form, section reference or utility.
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How to avoid the most common upload failures
Wrong form or section for the period
A file prepared with an old section number for a transaction dated on or after 1 April 2026 can fail processing. Recheck the transaction date and select the new-framework option or Form 141 where the department lists the transaction as a challan-cum-statement case. Conversely, do not convert a pre-April-2026 transaction to a new-period format merely because you are filing it after the transition date.
Challan does not reconcile
Compare the challan details and amount in the file with the payment record. Confirm that the challan belongs to the same TAN, period and statement. If the record was omitted, use the add-a-challan correction route only when the status permits it.
PAN or deductee details are rejected
Check each PAN against the source record, remove typographical errors and regenerate the statement. If the statement has already been accepted and only the PAN is wrong, use the PAN correction tutorial rather than uploading a second original statement.
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Authentication fails or the session expires
Confirm that the registered deductor has access to the Aadhaar OTP method or another offered authentication method. Start a new session, avoid multiple simultaneous logins and submit again only after checking whether the first attempt already generated an acknowledgement.
Status remains unclear
Use both statement status and challan status. A statement can be submitted while a challan remains unmatched. Keep the acknowledgement number and the exact error text before contacting portal support or attempting a correction.
Original filing versus correction: choose the right action
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| No statement has been filed for the period | Prepare and upload an original statement using the applicable period and form. |
| The original statement was filed but contains a correctable error | Check statement status, then use the matching online correction tutorial. |
| The error concerns a legacy period | Use the old Act framework and period-specific correction route identified by the transition guidance. |
| The transaction is a listed challan-cum-statement case | Follow that workflow instead of submitting a regular quarterly statement. |
Submitting a second original statement to replace an erroneous first statement can create duplicate reporting. Determine whether the portal expects a correction before uploading anything new.
Records to retain after submission
Keep a complete electronic file for the period:
- The final statement file exactly as uploaded.
- The acknowledgement or submission reference.
- Statement-status and challan-status results.
- Challan payment evidence and any late-fee payment evidence.
- The source payroll, invoice or payment records supporting each deductee entry.
- Copies of any correction file, correction acknowledgement and portal error message.
Use access controls appropriate to tax and PAN data. Do not email unprotected files broadly or leave downloaded statements in a shared public folder.
Quick Recap
A practical filing checklist
- Identify whether the transaction is a regular quarterly statement or a challan-cum-statement case.
- Classify the transaction date as on or before 31 March 2026 or on or after 1 April 2026.
- Choose Form 24Q, 26Q, 27Q, Form 141 or another currently applicable option based on the transaction and period.
- Confirm TAN, PAN, challan, deductee, amount, date and section details.
- Prepare and validate the statement with the utility or process for that period.
- Register the TAN through TRACES using Dashboard > Quick Links > Register at e-filing site, if registration is not complete.
- Sign in directly to e-Filing, select the correct period and form, attach the file and resolve validation errors.
- Authenticate with Aadhaar OTP or another available method; DSC registration is not mandatory for the TRACES-described online route.
- Save the acknowledgement and check statement and challan status.
- If an error appears, use the specific correction tutorial and the old/new framework that governs the original period.
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