Income tax e-filing: You can file your ITR even if your PAN card is inoperative. Here is how

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Income tax e-filing: If you missed linking your PAN with Aadhaar by the June 2023 deadline and your PAN is inactive, don't worry, you can still file your income tax return. The income tax department had previously clarified that an inoperative PAN remains active. The deadline for individuals not requiring an audit for the Financial Year 2023-24 (Assessment Year 2024-25) to file their Income Tax Returns (ITR) is July 31, 2024.

Abhishek Soni, CEO and Co-founder of Tax2win, explains that if you fail to link your PAN with your Aadhaar by the deadline in June 2023 and your PAN is inoperative, you can still file your income tax return. However, Soni clarifies that the verification process won't involve Aadhaar OTP. Instead, you can utilise alternative methods such as generating an Electronic Verification Code (EVC) through net banking, ATM, or other approved means.

The PAN is said to be inoperative when it is not linked with the taxpayer's Aadhaar number. “One may pay the income taxes due and file the Income Tax Return (ITR) irrespective of PAN becoming inoperative," said Vijay Bharech, Director, Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP. It's essential to note that the process of filing income tax returns remains the same even if your PAN is inoperative.

“You can simply log in to your account on the income tax e-filing portal and follow the steps outlined for filing income tax returns. This typically involves navigating to the e-file section, selecting the option for income tax return filing, and proceeding with the necessary details and documentation," explained Abhishek Soni. Nonetheless, an inactive PAN will lead to various repercussions.