Reviewed by Finin2min Editorial Desk · Last reviewed 11 August 2026
Check preliminary eligibility for the unified Form 121 under the Income-tax Rules, 2026 using nil-tax, age, specified-income and PAN conditions.
This tool screens eligibility for the lower/nil TDS declaration route, checking residency status, nil-tax position, valid PAN, and whether specified higher-risk conditions apply — all of which must align before the declaration route can be safely used instead of a formal certificate application.
| Form area | What belongs there | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Part A - declarant | PAN, name, status, previous assessment history, estimated income, estimated total income and declaration details. | Do not enter only the income from one deposit if the form calls for the tax-year total. |
| Schedule of income | Identification of the security, account, unit, share or other covered payment and the amount expected. | Use a separate payer submission where required and keep the instrument/account reference exact. |
| Verification | Confirmation that the statutory conditions are satisfied and the information is correct. | The checker is preliminary; the signed verification is the declarant's legal statement. |
| Part B - payer | Payer identity, unique identification number, payment/credit particulars and reporting details. | The payer should not alter the declarant's facts to make the declaration pass its system. |
A resident has interest from three banks. A declaration given to one bank cannot be screened using that deposit alone. The person totals the covered income, adds other taxable income, computes the full-year tax position and gives each payer its own complete declaration. Each acknowledgement is retained with the return file.
A declaration shows nil estimated tax, but the PAN is inoperative and the payer's records contain a different date of birth. The correct response is to cure the master-data problem and reassess eligibility. A calculator result does not require the payer to accept an invalid or internally inconsistent declaration.
Does acceptance by a bank prove eligibility? No. Acceptance is an operating step; the declarant remains responsible for the truth of the declaration. Is one declaration permanent? No. The conditions and estimated income are tested for the relevant tax year and declarations are furnished to the payer as required. What if tax is not nil? Do not use the self-declaration merely to reduce cash-flow pressure; check the certificate route and the ordinary credit/refund process.
Income Tax Department: Form 121 guidance | Income Tax e-filing portal | deduction estimator
Use the enacted Act, Rule 211, the official form and the reporting utility applicable to the tax year. This screening tool is educational and cannot certify eligibility.
Scope: Checks eligibility for filing the declaration (currently Form 15G for individuals below 60 / HUF, or Form 15H for senior citizens) to prevent TDS deduction on interest income where total income is below the taxable threshold.
Review status: reviewed and approved by CA Nikhil Gupta on 6 July 2026.
Background, worked examples and the rules behind these numbers.