1.5 Cr PAN Cards Deactivated For Not Being Linked With Aadhaar: CBDT

11.5 lakh PAN cards have been deactivated by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) due to the fact they were not linked to Aadhaar cards by June 30, 2023. The basic root cause of the incompatibility of the data in the two documents is the inability to link Aadhaar with PAN. If you are unable to link your Aadhaar and PAN after paying the Rs. 1,000 fee, you can use other options such as linking through the NSDL or income tax e-filing websites to reactivate your PAN Card.

57.25 crore of the 70.24 crore PAN card holders in the nation have linked their cards to Aadhar. Over 12 crore PAN cards-of which 11.5 crore have been deactivated-had not been linked to Aadhar, according to a CBDT response to a Right to Information (RTI) request.

According to the RTI response, in accordance with subsection (2) of Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act, each individual who received a PAN card on July 1, 2017, is required to provide their Aadhar number.

"This linking of PAN and Aadhaar was required to be done on or before a notified date, failing which PAN becomes inoperative," the CBDT said in the RTI reply, according to The Hindu.

The RTI was submitted by activist Chandra Shekhar Gaur, who resides in Madhya Pradesh.

"The cost of getting a new PAN card made is ₹91 excluding the Goods and Services Tax. Then how can the government impose a 10-fold fine for getting the PAN card reactivated? Also, how will people whose PAN cards have gotten deactivated file income tax?" asked Mr. Gaur. "Government should rethink and extend time limits for at least a year for linking PAN with Aadhaar," Mr. Gaur further informed The Hindu.

Go to the Income Tax Department's e-filing website to activate your PAN card. After selecting "Verify your PAN," provide the required details (PAN, Full Name, Date of Birth, Mobile Number), and then click on the "Continue" button. Your PAN's current state will be shown on the screen.

In a separate statement dated 10th November, CBDT stated that till November 9, 2023, direct tax collections indicate that gross collections reached Rs. 12.37 lakh crore, 17.59% more than gross collections during the same period the previous year. Net of refunds, direct tax collection has reached Rs. 10.60 lakh crore, 21.82% more than net collections for the same time in the previous year. The total amount collected for FY 2023-2024 amounts to 58.15% of the total Budget Estimates for direct taxes.