IT DEPARTMENT EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR LINKING PAN WITH AADHAAR

New Delhi: The income tax department on Friday extended the deadline for mandatory linking of Aadhaar with permanent account numbers (PAN) to March 31, 2018.

The earlier deadline was December 31. This is the third time that the tax department has extended the deadline since the first deadline of July 31.

“It has come to notice that some of the taxpayers have not yet completed the linking of PAN with Aadhaar. Therefore, to facilitate the process of linking, it has been decided to further extend the time for linking of Aadhaar with PAN till 31.03.2018,” the tax department said in a statement.

Linking of Aadhaar with PAN was made mandatory earlier this year as per the provisions introduced in the Finance Act 2017.

Besides the PAN, bank accounts and mobile SIM cards also have to be linked with Aadhaar by December 31 and February 6, respectively.

The extension is in line with the centre’s stand in the Supreme Court on Thursday, wherein it said that it would extend the deadline for linking PAN and bank accounts with Aadhaar until March.

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the setting up of a five-judge constitution bench next week to hear pleas seeking an interim stay on the Centre’s decision on mandatory linking of Aadhaar to avail benefits of various services and welfare schemes.