I-T dept likely to make PAN mandatory for cryptocurrency investors

I-T dept plans to seek statement of transactions from crypto exchanges

The income-tax department may make a permanent account number (PAN) mandatory for cryptocurrency investors, in line with the demat account rules for stock market transactions, according to two people privy to the discussion. 

At present, disclosure of crypto holdings and related gains is voluntary. If tax authorities go ahead with the PAN mandate, crypto exchanges will have to furnish a statement of financial transactions (SFT) before the income-tax department.

“The department wants the income from cryptocurrency trading to reflect in taxpayers’ annual information statement (AIS) for tax-filing purposes,” said a government official. Therefore, the tax department may ask crypto exchanges to report