LMIMindtree won the contract for this taxpayer identity system’s digital upgrade. Let’s hope lessons were learnt from the rushed GST rollout. PAN 2.0 should be pre-tested well.
Summary
LMIMindtree won the contract for this taxpayer identity system's digital upgrade. Let's hope lessons were learnt from the rushed GST rollout. PAN 2.0 should be pre-tested well.
Software company LTIMindtree has reportedly won the Income Tax Department's contract for its PAN 2.0 project, which aims to upgrade India's Permanent Account Number (PAN) system for taxpayer identification.
From the design and development of PAN 2.0 as a platform to its operation and upkeep, the Mumbai-based firm will serve tax authorities as a "managed service provider."
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Various portals for PAN-related services are to be unified, with an emphasis on making them user-friendly and easing digital processes, but without asking PAN card holders to get fresh ones issued.
While taxpayers can look forward to this platform's rollout, scheduled within 18 months, it's vital to minimize any scope for user dissonance that may arise from a rushed job.
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Our initial experience with the digital interface for GST had been perplexing. Corrective action always proves more painful than time and effort invested in proper test runs before any new platform goes live.
Speedy reforms are welcome, but not at the cost of digital diligence. At one time, the hope was that Aadhaar would subsume PAN.
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It did not, but the multiple-tag identity apparatus we now live with should work smoothly.