Furthermore, as per Section 139AA of the Income-tax Act of India, 1961, every person who is eligible to obtain an Aadhaar number shall, on or after July 1, 2017, quote Aadhaar number in the application form for allotment of permanent account number (PAN) and in the return of income tax. However, an official at the CGI confirmed that the above provisions apply to only those persons who are eligible to get Aadhaar.
The Consulate General of India issued a press statement on December 12 to reiterate that Aadhaar card enrolment is presently available to residents in India.
NRIs, although they are citizens of India, are not eligible for Aadhaar card if they have not stayed for more than 182 days or more in the last 12 months. "Upon completion of 182 days of their stay in India in the last 12 months immediately preceding the date of application for enrolment, NRIs can apply for the Aadhaar card," said the statement.
Therefore, the provisions of Section 139AA, regarding linking of Aadhaar to PAN or the requirement of quoting the Aadhaar number in the return shall not apply to a non-resident.
dhanusha@khaleejtimes.com