Indian Government Mulls Linking Biometric ID Program to Tax Returns

Government authorities in India are considering enabling the use of Aadhaar for income tax returns.

The idea is to simplify tax returns by letting Indian citizens file them using their account numbers from the national biometric ID program. The measure was proposed by an advisory panel concerned with the advancement of India’s digital payments ecosystem, and would coincide with recent efforts to enable Aadhaar-based payments as government authorities seek to push India toward a cashless economic system.

It wouldn’t just yield benefits for the taxpayers. As the Economic Times reports, a source close to the deliberations explained that Aadhaar-linked tax returns “will help in brining more people under the tax net.”

The Unique Identity Authority of India is reportedly working with the Central Board of Direct Taxes to determine how the idea could be realized.

Sources: Economic Times, Deccan Chronicle

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January 25, 2017 – by Alex Perala