Link your PAN with bank for refunds

NEW DELHI: The Income Tax Department will “only” issue refunds via the e-mode into bank accounts of taxpayers beginning next month and they should link PAN with their accounts, the taxman said in its latest public communication.nnThe department said refunds will be sent to bank accounts as it will issue “only e-refunds from March 1, 2019.”nnLink your PAN (permanent account number) with your bank account to get your refund directly, swiftly and securely, the department said in a public advisory issued Wednesday.nnIt added the bank account could be either savings, current, cash or overdraft.nnTill now, the department used to issue refunds to taxpayers either in their bank accounts or through account payee cheques, in a case-to-case basis depending on the category of taxpayers.nnThe communication added taxpayers can check if their bank account is linked with their PAN by logging onto the e-filing website of the department–“https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in /”https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.innnIt said those who have not linked their PAN with their bank account should provide it to their home bank branch and also validate this over the e-filing website of the I-T Department.nnRecently, the linking of the PAN with the Aadhaar-PAN has been made “mandatory” for those filing an Income Tax Return (ITR) and this procedure has to be “completed” by March 31 this year.nnAs per data updated till early this month, the I-T Department has so far issued 42 crore PANs, of which 23 crore have been linked with Aadhaar.nnWhile Aadhaar is issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to a resident of India, PAN is a 10-digit alphanumeric number allotted by the IT Department to a person, firm or entity.nnSource: Press Trust of India