The Economic Times

Is your Income Tax notice real? New 2026 CBDT rules require a DIN for official income tax correspondences like notice, orders, others

The CBDT has mandated a Document Identification Number (DIN) for all income tax correspondence to taxpayers via a circular dated March 31, 2026. This new directive replaces the 2019 rules, ensuring taxpayers can verify the authenticity of official communications. Exceptions exist for technical difficulties or when electronic referencing is impossible, but these require post-facto approval within 15 days.