Your AIS now has a Foreign Assets Information report: how to download the CRS/FATCA data and why it is not the full Schedule FA

On 17 July 2026 the Investigation Division of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) issued Office Memorandum F.No. 414(B)21/2023-T(Inv.VI)/64, hosting a taxpayer note titled "Display of CRS/FATCA in AIS". The note confirms that foreign asset and income information India receives under the Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) framework now sits inside your Annual Information Statement (AIS), under a "Reports" tab. Data for calendar years (CY) 2022, 2023 and 2024 is already visible, and CY 2025 data was scheduled to appear once it arrived in September/October 2026. If you are a resident with a foreign bank account, brokerage account or overseas investment, this morning's tip is simple: download the report today, and read the rest of this piece before assuming it is a complete list.

What the Section Says

The CBDT memorandum of 17 July 2026 is not a new statutory section, but it explains how an existing reporting obligation now meets a new data source. Here is the substance in plain English, drawn from the annexed note on the Income Tax Department website.

1. Where the data comes from. India receives financial account information about its tax residents from over 100 partner jurisdictions under two frameworks: the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) developed for multilateral exchange, and the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) arrangement with the United States. AEOI data for the preceding calendar year starts arriving from September each year, so CY 2025 information reaches India in the September to October 2026 window.

2. What it may cover. According to the note, the information can include foreign bank accounts, custodial accounts, certain financial investments, interest, dividends and other specified financial income. In other words, it reflects what a foreign financial institution reported about an account linked to you, for a given calendar year.

3. Where it appears. The data is displayed in the AIS under "Reports", in a section called "Foreign Assets Information". It is visible only to the taxpayer through their own login on the e-filing portal; it is not published or shared with third parties through the AIS.

4. What it is not. This is the most important line in the 17 July 2026 note. The CBDT states that AIS data is facilitative and is not a complete or exhaustive record. Taxpayers must report all foreign assets in Schedule FA and all foreign source income in Schedule FSI of the ITR, whether or not a particular asset or receipt appears in the AIS report.

5. The compliance push around it. The note records that SMS and e-mail reminders were being sent to taxpayers to report foreign assets for assessment year 2026-27, and that "Kar Saathi", the AI assistant on the e-filing portal, can guide users on ITR form selection and foreign asset reporting.

The table below summarises the gap between what the AIS report gives you and what the return asks of you.

How to download the report: five steps

The 17 July 2026 note lays out the navigation path on the e-filing portal. It takes under 5 clicks after login.

Repeat step 4 for each of the 4 calendar years. A difference between years, such as an account that appears in CY 2024 but not in CY 2025, is itself worth checking against your own records.

Worked Example

Consider Ananya, an illustrative resident salaried employee in Pune, with a gross salary of Rs 18,00,000 for FY 2025-26. She opened a savings account abroad during an overseas posting in 2023 and never closed it. She filed her AY 2026-27 return under the default new regime, but left Schedule FA blank because she believed a dormant account "did not count".

In October 2026 she downloads the CY 2025 Foreign Assets Information report and sees the account listed, along with interest credited during the year. For this example, assume that interest converts to Rs 40,000.

Here is how her tax looks before and after adding the interest, using the FY 2025-26 new-regime slabs, the Rs 75,000 standard deduction and 4% cess. You can reproduce this on the income tax calculator.

The additional tax is Rs 8,320: Rs 40,000 taxed at her 20% marginal slab (Rs 8,000) plus 4% cess (Rs 320). Because her total income is above the Rs 12,00,000 threshold, the Section 87A rebate of up to Rs 60,000 in the new regime does not apply in either column.

The arithmetic is modest. The bigger issue is the blank Schedule FA. The account itself has to be disclosed, not just the interest, and that obligation exists regardless of the account balance. Ananya's practical route is to correct the return: a revised return under Section 139(5) if the window for revision is still open for AY 2026-27, or otherwise an updated return under Section 139(8A), checking the eligibility conditions and timelines on incometax.gov.in before filing. If you are unsure whether the old or new regime suits a corrected return, compare both before you file.

Common Mistakes

These are the five errors the 17 July 2026 note is effectively designed to prevent.

1. Treating the AIS report as the full Schedule FA. The CBDT says in terms that the data is "not a complete or exhaustive record". An asset can be missing because the foreign institution did not report it, the jurisdiction is not among the 100+ partners, the asset type falls outside CRS/FATCA reporting, or the data simply has not arrived yet for CY 2025.

2. Ignoring assets that are not bank accounts. The note lists bank accounts, custodial accounts and certain financial investments. Many residents also hold overseas employer stock, which our earlier explainer on the small-taxpayer foreign asset disclosure window covers in detail. If you hold ESOPs or RSUs in a foreign parent, report them whether or not they appear in the AIS.

3. Assuming "no income, no reporting". A dormant account with nil interest in CY 2025 still has to go into Schedule FA. Schedule FSI is about income; Schedule FA is about holdings. Both are separate lines in the ITR for AY 2026-27.

4. Mismatching calendar year and financial year. The AIS report is organised by calendar year (CY 2022 to CY 2025), while salary and most Indian income run on the April to March financial year. When reconciling, line up the CY 2025 report against the period your ITR form asks for, and convert foreign amounts consistently.

5. Filing the wrong ITR form. A resident with foreign assets generally needs a form that contains Schedule FA. The 17 July 2026 note points taxpayers to "Kar Saathi" on the portal for form selection; use it, or check the ITR instructions on incometax.gov.in, before you file a corrected return. Also confirm your residential status first, because the foreign asset schedules apply to residents.

A quick reconciliation habit helps: list every foreign holding from your own statements, tick each one that appears in the CY 2025 AIS report, and treat every unticked item as "still to be reported", not "not required".

FAQ

Where exactly is the Foreign Assets Information report in AIS?

Log in at eportal.incometax.gov.in, click AIS to open the Compliance Portal, go to "Reports", then "Foreign Assets Information", pick the calendar year and click "Download PDF". The path is set out in the CBDT note annexed to the OM dated 17 July 2026.

Which years are available right now?

The note says CY 2022, CY 2023 and CY 2024 data is already displayed. CY 2025 data was to be shown once received in September/October 2026, so check again if the 2025 option is not yet populated.

If an account is not in my AIS report, do I still have to disclose it?

Yes. The CBDT states that all foreign assets must be reported in Schedule FA and all foreign source income in Schedule FSI, whether or not the information appears in AIS. The report covers data from over 100 partner jurisdictions, but it is facilitative, not exhaustive.

Can anyone else see my foreign asset information in AIS?

According to the 17 July 2026 note, the information is visible only to the taxpayer through their own login. Keep your portal credentials secure and download the PDF yourself rather than sharing your login.

I missed a foreign account in my AY 2026-27 return. What now?

The note's practical message is to check the report and correct omissions. Depending on timing, that means a revised return under Section 139(5) or an updated return under Section 139(8A); verify the current eligibility conditions and timelines on incometax.gov.in before filing.

Does the AIS report change how my foreign income is taxed?

No. It only displays information India received. Your tax still depends on your slab: in the Ananya example, Rs 40,000 of foreign interest added Rs 8,320 of tax at a 20% marginal rate plus 4% cess. Where tax was also paid abroad, read up on the relevant DTAA and the foreign tax credit rules before filing.

What is "Kar Saathi"?

It is the AI assistant on the income tax e-filing portal. The CBDT note of 17 July 2026 says it can guide taxpayers on ITR form selection and on reporting foreign assets for AY 2026-27.

This article is general information based on the CBDT Office Memorandum dated 17 July 2026 and is not tax advice. Check the latest instructions on incometax.gov.in or consult a qualified chartered accountant for your specific facts.