Consolidated Account Statement (CAS): A Simple Guide
A Consolidated Account Statement is a single document that lists everything you hold in your demat accounts and every mutual fund folio linked to your PAN. It is issued by NSDL or CDSL, not by your broker, and it pulls both depositories together so one statement covers all of it.
The purpose is reconciliation. Most investors have shares at one broker, mutual funds bought through two or three platforms, maybe some bonds and an ETF. CAS puts all of that on one page with values, so you can see the whole portfolio and spot anything you did not authorise.
What the CAS contains
The statement is built in sections, and each one answers a different question.
- Demat holdings, listed ISIN by ISIN with quantity and value, covering shares, bonds, ETFs, government securities and sovereign gold bonds.
- Transactions in the demat account during the period, showing every credit and debit.
- Mutual fund folios held in statement of account form, with units, latest NAV and current value, grouped by fund house.
- A summary of total value across all assets covered.
- Account details, including DP ID, client ID, PAN and the nomination status of each account.
Values are computed using the closing price on the last day of the period for securities and the applicable NAV for mutual fund units. Treat those as a snapshot, not a live number.
When it is sent and by which depository
SEBI’s rule is straightforward. A CAS is sent monthly for any month in which there was a transaction in your demat account or mutual fund folio. If there was no transaction, a statement is still sent half yearly, covering the periods ending March and September. Accounts with nil balance and no activity are exempt.
Which depository sends it depends on PAN. NSDL and CDSL share data, so if you hold accounts with both, the depository where your demat account was opened earlier issues the combined statement. If you hold demat accounts only with one depository, that one sends it. Delivery is by email where an email address is registered, and by post otherwise.
Depository CAS versus RTA CAS
Two different statements share the same name, which causes constant confusion. One comes from the depositories, the other from mutual fund registrars such as CAMS and KFintech.
| Point | NSDL or CDSL CAS | CAMS or KFintech CAS |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | The depository | Mutual fund registrar and transfer agent |
| Covers demat holdings | Yes | No |
| Covers mutual fund folios | Yes, folios held outside demat | Yes, across all fund houses on PAN or email |
| Shows capital gains | No | Yes, a separate capital gains statement is available |
| How to get it | Automatically, or on request from the depository | On request by email, usually within minutes |
For tax filing, the registrar statement is more useful because it gives realised gains scheme by scheme. For a full asset view including shares, the depository statement is the one you want.
How to get your CAS and open it
If your email is registered with your DP, the statement arrives on its own. To pull it on demand, use the CAS request facility on the depository’s website by entering your demat account number and PAN, or log into the depository’s investor portal, which is IDeAS for NSDL and Easi for CDSL.
The PDF is password protected. The password is your PAN in capital letters. If the statement covers a joint account, the PAN of the first holder is used. When nothing arrives at all, the usual cause is an email address that was never registered or was mistyped in the account opening form, which your DP can correct.
Five things to check every time it arrives
- Any debit you do not recognise, especially small quantities, since unauthorised transfers usually start small.
- Nomination status on each account. A blank here is one of the most common causes of trouble for families later.
- Old folios you forgot about, including units from an employer scheme or a fund you stopped a SIP in years ago.
- Bonus, split and merger credits, to confirm the corporate action was actually processed in your account.
- Whether the total value crosses the Basic Services Demat Account limit, since maintenance charges start once it does.
One misconception is worth clearing. The holding statement your broker shows in its app is not a CAS. It reflects one account with one participant and is generated by the broker. The CAS is generated by the depository from its own records, which makes it the better document to rely on if the two ever disagree.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have two demat accounts. Will I get two statements?
Not if both are linked to the same PAN. The depositories combine the data and issue one statement covering all accounts, including any held with the other depository. Separate statements usually mean the PAN details differ across accounts, which is worth fixing.
Why are my mutual funds missing from the CAS?
Units bought in demat mode appear in the demat section as an ISIN, not in the mutual fund section, so they can look absent. Units held with the registrar appear in the folio section. If a folio is genuinely missing, its PAN mapping is probably incomplete.
Can I use CAS as proof of holdings for a loan or a visa?
Yes, it is widely accepted as evidence of securities held, since it comes from a SEBI-regulated depository and carries your PAN and account details. Some institutions ask for a statement not older than a specified number of days, in which case request a fresh one.
Does the CAS show my profit or loss?
No. It shows quantity and current value, not your cost of acquisition, so it cannot compute gains. Use the tax profit and loss statement from your broker for shares and the capital gains statement from CAMS or KFintech for mutual funds.
What should I do if a holding on the statement is wrong?
Raise it with your depository participant first, in writing, with the statement attached. If it is not resolved, escalate to the depository and then through the SEBI SCORES complaint system. Keep the original statement, since it is the dated record of the discrepancy.
Key Takeaways
- CAS is issued by NSDL or CDSL and covers demat holdings plus mutual fund folios on your PAN.
- It is sent monthly when there is a transaction and half yearly otherwise, for March and September.
- If you have accounts with both depositories, the one where your account was opened earlier issues it.
- The PDF password is your PAN in capital letters, using the first holder’s PAN for joint accounts.
- Use it to check unauthorised debits, nomination status and forgotten folios, not to compute gains.
