The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has officially permitted taxpayers to file a revised income tax return in cases where an incorrect PAN (Permanent Account Number) was quoted in the original submission. This relief measure aims to address genuine mistakes made during the filing process, reduce the number of defective returns, and ensure that taxpayers are not penalized for unintentional errors that may disrupt compliance or delay refund processing.

Under the revised policy, taxpayers who discover that they have entered an incorrect PAN—either their own, a family member’s, or an unrelated party’s—can now submit a revised return under Section 139(5) of the Income Tax Act. The correction must be made within the specified timeline for revised return filing, which is typically before the end of the relevant assessment year or before completion of assessment, whichever comes first. Once the correct PAN is quoted, the revised return will be processed as valid, subject to verification and eligibility.

The Income Tax Department advises taxpayers to double-check their PAN details, Aadhaar linkage, and demographic information before submitting returns to avoid such issues in the future. This amendment is particularly helpful in preventing the loss of TDS credits, refund denials, or mismatches in Form 26AS and AIS records. By allowing this correction route, the CBDT reinforces its commitment to a fair, responsive, and taxpayer-friendly administration of India’s income tax system.