The last date for the mandatory linking of the Permanent Account Number (PAN) with Aadhaar has been extended till March next year, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said on Monday. The earlier deadline was Tuesday, December 31.
"The due date for linking of PAN with Aadhaar as specified under sub-section 2 of section 139AA of the Income-tax Act, 1961 has been extended from December 31, 2019 to March 31, 2020," the department said on its official Twitter handle.
This is the eighth time that the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has extended the deadline for individuals to link their PAN with Aadhaar.
The Supreme Court, in September last year, had declared the Centre's flagship Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid and held that the biometric ID would remain mandatory for the filing of Income Tax returns and allotment of the PAN. The government had earlier stated that If the two documents are not linked, it would render PAN inoperative.
Section 139 AA (2) of the Income Tax Act says that every person having PAN as on July 1, 2017, and is eligible to obtain Aadhaar, must intimate his Aadhaar number to tax authorities.
Aadhaar is issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to a resident of India and PAN is a 10-digit alphanumeric number allotted by the I-T department to a person, firm or entity.
The CBDT, that frames policy for the tax department, said a notification numbered 107 has been issued in this context.
As per the rules of the Indian government, a PAN card is mandatory for non-residents of India (NRIs), that is, if they have a taxable income in India or have plans to make investments in the country.
To check if your PAN and Aadhaar have been link, click here and then on ‘Link Aadhaar’, and then select first option under ‘Quick Links’ on the left bar.
The two can also be linked via SMS. Send an SMS to 567678 or 56161 from your registered mobile number in the following format: UIDPAN<SPACE><12 digit Aadhaar><Space><10 digit PAN>.
(With inputs from PTI)