Form 16 is locked: how to find the password
Last updated November 7, 2026
Why there is no single Form 16 password, and the fastest way to get the right one. All guides
There is no universal password
Form 16 PDFs are produced by the employer or their payroll provider, so the password rule depends on who issued the file. Some use PAN with a date of birth, others use a different pattern.
The fastest way to get it
Ask the employer's HR or payroll team for the password rule, not for the password itself. The rule is the same for every employee, so one answer helps every client from that employer.
Ask the client to download Form 16 from the employer's portal again if the file was edited or forwarded as a photo. A scan or photo can't be read by the usual checks.
Saving time at filing season
Note the password rule per employer in the client's record the first time you learn it. With IntegralChase, you can also have the client type the password once when they upload, and it is used to open the file and then dropped.