Don’t worry! Your PAN card will not become invalid if you don't link it with Aadhaar

Taxpayers without Aadhaar number or its enrolment ID will not be able to e-file their Income ITRs from July 1 even as their PAN will not be invalidated.

New Delhi: Taxpayers without Aadhaar number or its enrolment ID will not be able to e-file their Income Tax returns (ITRs) from July 1 even as the tax department has said that in no case any PAN will be invalidated.

However, people who are not able to link their Aadhaar and Permanent Account Number (PAN) by July 1, will have the option to mention the UIDAI-provided number in the e-ITR and this will be considered a valid linking of the two unique numbers.

A number of queries and doubts has risen on the issue of Aadhaar-PAN linking in the wake of the government making it clear that Aadhaar will be a "must" for filing ITRs and obtaining a new PAN from July 1.

The senior tax official addressed the two major concerns of taxpayers in this context:

"It has been made abundantly clear that no PAN, which is not linked to Aadhaar, will be cancelled from July 1. However, any person who wants to e-file their ITRs will either have to have an Aadhaar number or the enrolment id to be mentioned in their ITR or prior link it over the e-filing portal of the department.

"If Aadhaar credentials are not linked with PAN or mentioned in the ITR, then such a person will not be able to e-file," the official said.

E-filing of ITR is mandatory for all individuals except whose income is less than Rs 5 lakh per annum and those who are above 80 years of age.

Aadhaar has also been made mandatory for applying for PAN with effect from July 1.

With PTI Inputs