New Delhi: The CBDT has stressed that Aadhaar-PAN linking is "mandatory" for those filing an Income Tax Return (ITR) and this procedure has to be "completed" by March 31 this year. "Constitutional validity of Aadhaar has been upheld by the Supreme Court of India in September 2018. Consequently, in terms of Section 139AA of Income Tax Act, 1961 and order dated June 30, 2018 of the Central Board of Direct Taxes, Aadhaar-PAN linking is mandatory now which has to be completed till March 31, 2019 by PAN holders requiring filing of ITR," the CBDT said in an advisory on Thursday.

The Supreme Court on February 6 had confirmed that linkage of PAN with Aadhaar is mandatory for filing of ITRs. This reiteration of the September order of the apex court came on an appeal filed by the Centre against a Delhi High Court order allowing two persons, to file their ITRs for 2018-19 without linking their Aadhaar and PAN numbers. A bench comprising Justices A K Sikri and S Abdul Nazeer said the top court has already decided the matter and upheld the section 139AA of the Income Tax Act. The apex court on September 26 last year had declared the Centre's flagship Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid but struck down some of its provisions including its linking with bank accounts, mobile phones and school admissions.