Aadhaar card to be mandatory for filing income tax returns, applying for PAN card?

The government of India has made the Aadhaar card mandatory to file for income tax returns and also to apply for a permanent account number (PAN), a report by Hindustan Time said on Tuesday.

The report further added that the move will come into place from July 1 and will be introduced through an amendment to the Finance Bill that is currently being discussed in Parliament which is in session.

The reply to the Finance Bill amendment is awaited from Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday.

The card which was only an optional document while filing ITR.

Aadhaar card was also named as a mandatory document for Employee Provident Fund (EPF) in January.

Ownership of an Aadhaar card has been made mandatory for availing public distribution system and mid-day meals.

The PAN card, which was the necessary document for opening a bank account, will now require the presence of an Aadhaar card to avail for one.

HT quoted Anjali Bhardwaj, founder of Satark Nagril Sangathan who said that Supreme Court rulings suggested that public services cannot be denied because of Aadhaar, but the government continues to ‘violate it.’