ATTENTION!!! 20 crore PAN cards may be DEACTIVATED by I-T Dept if not linked with Aadhaar by this date

If one just seeks to use the Permanent Account Number (PAN) card as an identity proof and opts to not file the Income Tax, the PAN Card is likely to be deactivated by the Income Tax Department. It is important for all the PAN card holders to link it with Aadhaar card before September 30. The Income Tax Department is set to launch a major crackdown against the circulation of duplicate PAN cards once the deadline gets over.

There are 44 crore PAN card holders in the country out of which 20 crore PAN cards have still not been linked with Aadhaar. The threat of cancellation looms over these PAN cards. However, to quote an officer from Income Tax Department, “It is not possible that 20 crore of the PAN card holders do not have Aadhaar card. There are 44 crore PAN card holders in the country while the number of Aadhar card holders notches the 1.2 billion mark.”

As per government’s official guideline, the last date of ITR filing is August 31 and the tax payers will not be able to file returns if PAN card is not linked with Aadhaar card. Under section 139 AA of Income Tax Act, PAN will stand deactivated in case, it is not linked with Aadhaar.

Last year, the apex court in its hearing had declared the Centre's flagship Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid and held that the biometric ID would remain mandatory for the filing of I-T returns and allotment of PAN.

Moreover, while presenting her maiden budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that the tax payers can use Aadhar to file the income tax returns. Also, timely filing i.e. before deadline may save Rs 10,000 which government charges as late fine in case of delayed ITR filing. It is to be noted that for all the citizens except those ageing above 80, the ITR filing has be done online and not on paper.