Income tax department has made it mandatory to link PAN card with Aadhaar. This deadline has expired last year, and those who did not link before that, the PAN card has been deactivated. Tax payers face many problems due to PAN card closure.
A PAN card is also required when a taxpayer goes to file income tax returns. Now if you have not linked your PAN with Aadhaar by the deadline and the PAN has been deactivated, then you must have wondered how to file ITR. Filing return without PAN card is difficult, but it is possible to file it.
The deadline for filing ITR without penalty is 31 July 2024 for taxpayers not requiring audit for the financial year 2023-24.
In such cases taxpayers whose PAN card has been deactivated can take the help of Aadhaar OTP to file ITR. ITR can be filed in case of closed PAN with the help of Aadhaar OTP verification. Then, to verify the return, taxpayers have to generate electronic verification code through alternative methods like net banking, ATM etc.
Although this will make it possible to file ITR, there may be difficulties in getting refund. Because the Income Tax Department had clearly stated that Income Tax Refunds will not be given to taxpayers whose PAN is not linked with Aadhaar. The deadline for linking PAN with Aadhaar was 30 June 2023. However, PAN can still be linked to Aadhaar by paying some fees.