Besides SMS and online facilities to link Aadhaar details to PAN number, the Income Tax department has introduced a one-page form for taxpayers to manually apply for the procedure. Quoting of the 12-digit biometric Aadhaar ID at the time of application of PAN has been made a must by the government after it amended and notified the income tax rules.
“This form is just another procedure, via the paper medium, to link the Aadhaar and the PAN database as required from July 1,” PTI quoted an unidentified official as saying. “The SMS and online modes are also available.”
The individual will have to mention PAN and Aadhaar numbers on the form and enter the names mentioned on both the documents. Then they will have to sign a declaration stating that the Aadhaar number provided in the application form has not been provided for the purpose of linking it with “any other PAN”. Furthermore, the declaration also says that the individual has not been allotted any other PAN than the one mentioned on the form.
The I-T department had stated that taxpayers will not be able to file their income tax returns without their Aadhaar number. However, on Friday, the Central Board of Direct Taxes had clarified that the PAN will not be invalidated if it is not linked to Aadhaar by July 1.
There are over 25 crore PAN card holders in the country. Aadhaar card has been issued to 111 crore people. Around 2.07 crore taxpayers have already linked their Aadhaar with PAN. One June 9, the Supreme Court had said that those who do not have Aadhaar cannot be forced to get it in order to file income tax returns and upheld the government’s scheme of linking Aadhaar with PAN cards.
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