GoI clarified that permanent account number will not be retrospectively invalidated if not linked with Aadhaar.
PAN will be invalidated from July 1, 2017 and not from when one had applied for it, Mukul Rohatgi, government’s top law officer attorney announced.
Earlier this month, the government had made Aadhaar number compulsory for filing income tax returns and also to apply for a new PAN.
According to the new Finance Act, 2017, the PAN number can be considered void if it is not linked with the Aadhaar.
The court was hearing three petitions on the government’s decision to make Aadhaar mandatory for PAN and also for filing returns.
Aadhaar is more a right of the citizen and not a duty. Hence, it can be argued it cannot be made mandatory for any government scheme.
Government has made Aadhaar mandatory for multiple schemes and facilities including filing tax returns and getting a new phone connection.
