A PDF may be valid and issued by an employer, deductor or organisation but still fail during upload. This generally happens when the file is not machine-readable, is not a supported Form 16 document, or contains multiple certificates in an unsupported format.

Employer-Issued Does Not Always Mean Machine-Readable

Receiving a PDF from your employer confirms the source of the document. However, it does not guarantee that the PDF contains readable digital text.

Some employers generate Form 16 as a scanned image or convert a printed document back into PDF format. The document may look clear on the screen, but the system may not be able to identify important details such as:

• PAN and TAN
• Employer details
• Salary information
• Tax deducted
• Exemptions and deductions

Make Sure You Are Uploading Form 16, Not Form 16A

Form 16 and Form 16A are different TDS certificates. A PDF can be clear, digitally generated and machine-readable but may still fail if the wrong certificate is uploaded.

What Is Form 16?

Form 16 is generally issued by an employer for tax deducted from salary. It normally includes salary income, exemptions, deductions and tax computation details.

What Is Form 16A?

Form 16A is a TDS certificate for income other than salary. It may relate to professional fees, interest, commission, rent or other non-salary payments.

Form 16A usually contains details such as:

• The words “FORM NO. 16A” at the top
• Quarter-wise TDS details such as Q1, Q2, Q3 or Q4
• Nature-of-payment or section codes such as 194A, 194C, 194H or 194J
• Challan and TDS deposit information
• Deductor and deductee details

Multiple TDS Certificates in One PDF

Some PDFs contain multiple quarterly Form 16A certificates combined into one document. For example, the PDF may contain separate certificates for Q1, Q2, Q3 and Q4.

Such a document may fail in the Form 16 upload section because:

• It contains Form 16A instead of salary Form 16.
• It contains multiple certificates in one PDF.
• Each quarter may have a different certificate number.
• The document structure does not match the expected Form 16 format.
• The income may need to be reported under business, profession or another applicable income category.

Other Common Reasons the PDF Cannot Be Processed

1. Scanned or Image-Based PDF

The PDF may contain scanned images instead of selectable digital text. Since the information is stored as an image, the system may not be able to extract it accurately.

2. Poor Scan Quality

The document may be blurred, tilted, cropped, faded or scanned at a low resolution. This can make numbers and letters difficult for the system to recognise.

3. Password-Protected PDF

If the file is protected with a password or has restricted permissions, the system may not be able to open and process it.

4. PDF Created from Screenshots

A document created by combining screenshots, mobile photographs or image files may not contain readable digital text.

5. Flattened or Converted PDF

The original document may have been printed, scanned, compressed or converted using another application. During this process, the digital text may have been converted into an image.

6. Corrupted or Incomplete File

The PDF may have been damaged during downloading, emailing or transferring. The file may also be incomplete or contain missing pages.

7. Overlapping Content, Stamps or Watermarks

Digital signatures, stamps, watermarks or overlapping text may prevent the system from correctly reading certain fields.

8. Unsupported Document Structure

The PDF may contain readable text but use a layout or certificate structure that is not supported by the upload facility. Examples include combined certificates, quarter-wise Form 16A documents and files containing unrelated pages.

How to Check Whether the PDF Is Scanned

Open the PDF and try to select or copy a word, PAN, salary figure or employer name.

• If the text can be selected and copied, the PDF is generally machine-readable.
• If the entire page is selected as a single image, the PDF is likely scanned or image-based.

After checking text readability, also check the heading on the first page:

• If it states “FORM NO. 16”, it may be a salary Form 16.
• If it states “FORM NO. 16A”, it is a non-salary TDS certificate.

How to Resolve the Issue

1. Check whether the PDF is Form 16 or Form 16A.
2. Upload salary Form 16 only in the Form 16 upload section.
3. Do not upload combined quarterly Form 16A certificates as Form 16.
4. Download the original document again from the employer or deductor.
5. Avoid uploading screenshots, photographs or scanned copies.
6. Remove the PDF password before uploading.
7. Make sure all required pages are included.
8. Avoid printing, rescanning, compressing or converting the original PDF.

What Should I Request from My Employer?

Still Unable to Upload?

If the correct Form 16 is still not being processed, contact the myITreturn support team and share the upload error details. The support team can help identify whether the file is scanned, password-protected, incomplete or an unsupported document type.

If the document is Form 16A, the income and TDS details may need to be entered or reported through the appropriate income section instead of the Form 16 upload facility.

For Assisted Service, please WhatsApp us on +91-9320546101 or raise a support ticket here