Relaxation for filing electronic Form 10F by non-resident taxpayers
CBDT has issued the Notification No. 3/2022 dated 12 December 2022 whereby it has provided relaxation for filing electronic Form 10F by non-resident taxpayers, unless they are otherwise not required to obtain PAN Number.
Taxpayers may recall that since the day CBDT had issued notification no. 2/2022 dated 16 July 2022, whereby it was mandatorily required to file certain forms digitally (including Form 10F), the non-resident taxpayers were under a dilemma.
The income tax act (read with income tax rules) through the operation of Rule 37BC had provided exemption to obtain PAN to avoid hardship by a non-resident taxpayer, however just for the sake of filing Form 10F, the same taxpayer had to obtain PAN Number.
The present notification though gives a sigh of relief but not for a long period since the notification specifically mentions that the said exemption is only until 31 March 2023.
Till 31 March 2023, such non-resident taxpayers who were otherwise not required to obtain PAN may continue to submit Form 10Fs via offline mode. The question still remains as to why the Income Tax Department has not provided complete exemption from this onerous compliance?
