AADHAAR-PAN LINK MAY HELP CURB TAX EVASION

Linking Aadhaar with PAN cards will have a considerable effect on curbing tax evasion, even though it may not be the solution to check black money, say finance experts and tax consultants. They believe that weeding out fake PAN cards with the help of Aadhaar is a long-term benefit, which goes beyond tax evasion.

Petitioners in the case opposing the linking of PAN and Aadhaar have maintained in the Supreme Court that the linkage will not stop tax evasion. However, Shailesh Kumar, director, direct taxation at Nangia & Co LLP, a leading tax advisory firm, told The Sunday Guardian: “The Supreme Court in its decision has clearly and rightly noted that linking of Aadhaar with PAN and quoting in Income Tax Returns is only one of the methods aimed at curbing the problems of black money and tax evasion. Aadhaar is only one of the tools, in addition to various other steps required to be taken by the govern-