CA Rajni Goswami · 16 August 2026
Form 16 has a new name — here's what changed on your salary slip
It's now called Form 130. The number changed; what it means for you mostly didn't.
Form 16 — the annual TDS certificate your employer gives you, showing your salary, deductions, and tax deducted — has been renumbered to Form 130 under the Income Tax Act, 2025 and the Income Tax Rules, 2026. It still does the same job: it's still generated after your employer files quarterly TDS returns, and you'll still use it to file your return.
It's not purely a rename, though. Form 130 adds a third section that consolidates your salary, exemptions, deductions, and final tax calculation into one place, instead of spreading it across separate pages. It also swaps "Assessment Year" for "Tax Year" throughout, and references the new Section 392 in place of the old Section 192.
Who this affects: every salaried individual — but not immediately. Form 16 remains valid and is still what your employer issues for FY 2025-26, due by 15 June 2026. Form 130 only becomes mandatory for Tax Year 2026-27, meaning you'd actually receive your first Form 130 by around 15 June 2027.
What to do: nothing right now — you likely already have your Form 16 for this year, and it's still the correct document to file with. From your April 2026 salary onward, keep an eye on your payslips for the new terminology (Form 130, Section 392, "Tax Year") so it doesn't look unfamiliar when it starts appearing.