Wrong Permanent Account Number (PAN) entries, duplicate transactions and double counting in joint accounts are emerging as key issues in the Income-tax Department's Annual Information Statement (AIS), often resulting in mismatches, scrutiny notices and difficulties in filing returns, officials said. Ahead of the May 31 deadline for filing Statements of Financial Transactions (SFTs), the department has stepped up engagement with reporting entities through awareness drives and technical outreach programmes to improve reporting quality, ensure data accuracy and avoid last-minute bulk reporting to avoid any trouble for taxpayers. Under Section 285BA of the Income-tax Act, banks, cooperative banks, mutual funds, registrars, companies, authorised forex dealers and other specified entities are required to report prescribed financial transactions to the tax department. The framework will continue under the Income-tax Act, 2025. AIS has become the backbone of the tax department's push towards pre-filled returns, faceless assessments and data-based compliance tracking.