Step 1 - Navigate to Manage TDS
Log in to Asanify as an Admin.
From the left navigation bar, click on Payroll to expand the submenu, then click on Manage TDS.
Step 2 - Select Entity and Financial Year
At the top of the Manage TDS page, use the Entity selector to choose the legal entity for which you want to generate Form 138.
Use the Select Financial Year dropdown to select FY 2026-27 or later. Form 138 applies from FY 2026-27 (ending year 2027) onwards. For FY 2025-26 and earlier, Asanify generates Form 24Q instead.
Note: Form 138 supports Q1, Q2, and Q3 only (April–December). Q4 (January–March) support will be available once the official file format is released by the Income Tax department.
Step 3 - Ensure Payruns Are Marked as Paid
The quarter section will display Total Tax Deducted and Total Tax Deposited for each month.
All three months in the quarter must have completed payruns visible on this page.
If you have run payroll but don't see it here, only payruns marked as paid are considered. Click on mark it as paid to record your payout date.
The Generate Form 138 Files button will remain disabled until all conditions are met.
Step 4 - Add Challans for Each Month
For each month in the quarter, you need to record the TDS payment (challan) made to the government:
Click on the quarter section (e.g., Q1 Apr 2026 – Jun 2026) to expand it.
Under each month, click the Add Challan button.
In the drawer that opens, fill in the challan details:
BSR Code — 7-digit code of the bank branch where payment was made
Challan Serial Number (CSN) — serial number from the bank challan
Payment Date — date on which TDS was deposited
Challan Amount — total amount deposited (TDS + interest + fee + penalty, if any)
Click Save to record the challan.
Repeat this for each of the three months in the quarter.
Note: The Total Tax Deposited must be within ₹3 of the Total Tax Deducted for the Generate Form 138 Files button to become active. If there is a large difference, check if all challans have been added correctly.
Step 5 - Map Employees to Challans
After adding a challan, you need to map the employees whose TDS is covered by that challan:
Against the challan in the table, click More > Map Employees.
In the mapping drawer, select the employees to be mapped to this challan.
Click Update Mapping to save.
Repeat this for every challan across all months in the quarter.
Step 6 - Fill In Deductor Details (One-Time Setup)
Deductor details are required for Form 138 and only need to be filled once (or when they change):
Click on the Deductor Details tab at the top of the Manage TDS page.
Click the Edit (pencil) icon to enter edit mode.
Fill in the mandatory fields:
Deductor Name, TAN, PAN, GSTIN
Deductor Address (Line 1, City, State, Pincode)
Deductor Email
Responsible Person details (Name, Designation, PAN, Address, Email, Mobile)
Deductor Type (as per Annexure 4 of the Income-Tax Act 2025)
Click Save to update the details.
Note: For PAN, TAN, GSTIN and company name, go to Company Settings > Basic to update those values, as they are shared across the platform.
Step 7 - Upload CSI File and Generate Form 138
Once challans are added, employees are mapped, and deductor details are complete:
Go back to the Challans tab.
Click the Generate Form 138 Files button for the relevant quarter.
In the dialog that opens, upload the CSI file downloaded from the NSDL/TIN-NSDL portal after making the TDS payment.
Click Upload CSI and Generate FVU to trigger file generation.
Asanify will generate the Form 138 text file (.txt), FVU file, Form 27A, and related documents.
Step 8 - Download the Generated Files
After successful generation:
The quarter section will show a status chip — FVU Generated (green) or Form 138 File Generated.
Click on the Form 138 Downloads section within the quarter to expand it.
Click Download next to each file type:
FVU — the validated file for submission to TRACES/TIN portal
CSI — the uploaded CSI file
Form 27A — the verification form
Form 138 (.txt) — the raw text file
Zip — all files bundled together
If there are errors in the data, Asanify will display them in an Errors table. Correct the data and click Regenerate to recreate the files.
Additional Information
Who can generate Form 138?
Only users with the Admin role can access Manage TDS and generate Form 138. HR-only users do not have access to this section.
What is the difference between Form 138 and Form 24Q?
Form 138 is the successor to Form 24Q under the Income-Tax Act 2025 and applies from FY 2026-27 onwards. If you are filing for FY 2025-26 or earlier, Asanify will generate Form 24Q automatically — the process on the platform is identical.
What quarters does Form 138 support?
Form 138 currently supports Q1 (Apr–Jun), Q2 (Jul–Sep), and Q3 (Oct–Dec). Q4 (Jan–Mar) is not supported yet as the official Annexure II/III file format has not been released by the Income Tax department.
What if the Generate Form 138 Files button is disabled?
The button will be disabled if:
All 3 months of the quarter do not have payruns marked as paid
The difference between Total Tax Deducted and Total Tax Deposited (via challans) is ₹3 or more
Not all months in the quarter have challans added
Can I regenerate Form 138 after it has been generated?
Yes. Click the Regenerate button in the downloads section. This will delete the previously generated files and prompt you to upload a new CSI file before regenerating.