The Income Tax Department will now accept Aadhaar Card as proof of identity and address for issuance of Permanent Account Number (PAN). The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has issued a notification expanding the list of documents admissible as proof of identity and address by including Aadhaar Card.

Now, Aadhaar Card can be used as proof of identity and address for getting a PAN, which is a ten-digit alphanumeric number issued in the form of a laminated card by the Income Tax Department.

Aadhaar is a 12-digit individual identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) on behalf of the government.

The UIDAI has issued about 51 crore Aadhaar numbers so far with about 11 lakh of such numbers generated every day.     

Other documents for identify accepted by the I-T department include elector photo identity card, ration card having photograph of the applicant, passport, driving licence, arms license and photo identity card issued by government or a public sector undertaking.

Documents for address proof include, electricity bill, landline telephone or broadband connection bill, consumer gas connection card or book or piped gas bill, bank account statement, passport of applicant or even spouse, among others.

Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had also notified that Aadhaar Card is a valid proof for opening of a bank account under the Know Your Customer (KYC) scheme. (PTI/NDTV)