I-T dept launches 'instant' Aadhaar-based online PAN allotment system
New Delhi: The Income Tax department has launched an 'instant' Aadhaar-based PAN allotment service for individuals seeking to obtain the unique identifier for the first time.
"This facility is free of cost, and instant allotment of e-PAN is available only for a limited period on the first-come-first-serve basis for valid Aadhaar holders," the department said in a recent advisory.
A senior official said the new facility had been introduced because of an increasing number of people applying to obtain the Permanent Account Number (PAN) for their financial and tax matters.
A fresh PAN will be allotted by a one-time password (OTP) sent over the "active mobile number" linked with the valid Aadhaar number of a person, the advisory said.
The new PAN, obtained by this mechanism, will have the same name, date of birth, gender, mobile number and address that is present in the individual's Aadhaar, it said.
"The e-PAN facility is only for resident individuals and not for Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), firms, trusts and companies etc.," it said.
Once the PAN is allotted to an applicant through his electronic Aadhaar-based verification system in a few seconds, the applicant will be sent the PAN card by post in some time, the official said.
"This is one more initiative that leverages the Aadhaar database to disburse/allot a government service quickly," he said.
The process can be completed at the official portal of the department –https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) that makes policy for the Income Tax department had on Saturday extended the deadline for the PAN-Aadhaar linking to March 31 next year.
This is the fifth time it has extended the deadline for individuals to link their PAN to their biometric ID (Aadhaar).
According to Section 139 AA (2) of the Income Tax Act, every person having PAN as on July 1, 2017, and eligible to obtain Aadhaar, must intimate his Aadhaar number to the tax authorities.
