 "The Centre and states together spent about Rs 9.6 trillion on the pension of their employees in 2023-24 (FY24, revised estimates), accounting for 3.3 per cent of India's gross domestic product (GDP). The proportion peaked at 3.8 per cent in the pande")
For retired personnel of the defence services who get pension through the SPARSH portal, there's a key change in filing Income Tax returns this year.
Form 16 for FY 2024-25 now available on SPARSH
The Defence Ministry has released Form 16 for FY25 on SPARSH (System for Pension Administration – Raksha). Pensioners can download their tax certificate by logging in to the portal and navigating to the ‘My Documents’ section.
Form 16 is essential while filing your Income Tax Return (ITR) as it includes details of Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) on pension.
What is SPARSH Portal?
SPARSH is the Defence Ministry’s digital platform for managing pensions.
Government pensioners get Form 16 from the disbursing authority; defence pensioners can download it at SPARSH.
Also Read
 "Stock Market LIVE: Sensex down 950 pts, Nifty below 24,650 amid Israel-Iran war; Nifty Oil down 1.5%")
 "FPI, Foreign portfolio investors, investors, corporate, companies, shareholders, stake, stock")
 "Results, Exam results")
 "crude oil, oil, lng")
 "trading")
Here’s why you should download it now:
- It helps you verify the amount of TDS deducted on your pension.
- It serves as proof of income and tax paid when filing ITR.
- It allows for early correction in case of any mismatch in TDS records.
How to access Form 16 on SPARSH
To download your Form 16:
Step 1: Visit https://sparsh.defencepension.gov.in
Step 2: Log in using your SPARSH ID and password
Step 3: Click on “My Documents”
Step 4: Download and save Form 16
This document helps you confirm the TDS deducted and serves as proof during tax return filing.
How to view your tax information
Apart from Form 16, SPARSH also provides an estimate of your likely tax burden for the year through the Projected Tax Summary feature. This can help pensioners plan their taxes better.
To check:
Step 1: Log in to your SPARSH account
Step 2: Go to Services > Projected Tax Summary
This section provides a clear estimate of your tax liabilities based on your pension disbursals so far, helping you plan deductions or advance taxes if needed.
 "Hrithik-Roshan")
 "Campbell Wilson, Campbell, Wilson, Air India CEO")
 "RBI")
 "Pickleball")
 "mutual fund")
