New Delhi: Only resident Indians will have to quote Aadhaar for filing ITR as the I-T department has made it mandatory for them for assessment year 2017-18.

The government, as per the Finance Act 2017, has made it a must for taxpayers to quote Aadhaar or enrolment ID for filing of income tax returns (ITR).

Also, one has to have Aadhaar to apply for permanent account number with effect from July 1, 2017. In a statement, the tax department said an individual who has resided in India for 182 days or more in the 12 months immediately preceding the date of application for the enrolment of Aadhaar has to quote the number in the ITR. “It is clarified that such mandatory quoting of Aadhaar or enrolment ID shall apply only to a person who is eligible to obtain Aadhaar number… Accordingly, the requirement to quote Aadhaar as per section 139AA of the Income-Tax Act shall not apply to an individual who is not a resident as per the Aadhaar Act, 2016,” an official statement said. As per the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016, only a resident individual is entitled to obtain Aadhaar. Resident as per the said Act means an individual who has resided in India for a period or periods amounting in all to 182 days or more in the 12 months immediately preceding the date of application for the enrolment. The Income-Tax Act defines a resident as a person who has stayed equal to or more than 182 days of current financial year in India or if he stayed in India for 60 days or more in previous financial year, among others. People who do not satisfy these criteria are considered as NRIs (non-resident Indians). There are more than 25 crore PAN card holders in the country while Aadhaar has been issued to 111 crore people. – PTI