PAN-Aadhaar Link: A step by step guide to link two cards before deadline

PAN and Aadhaar card link last date: The Income Tax Department has fixed the last date to link the two cards as March 31, 2023, but the users will have to pay a penalty of Rs 1,000

The last date to link the PAN and Aadhaar cards is March 31, 2023. Earlier, this was fixed on March 31, 2022, but was later extended. However, the users will have to pay a fine of Rs 1,000 while linking the two cards before March 31, 2023. If these are not linked by the last date, the PAN card will become inoperative.

According to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), users will not be able to initiate any transactions in NSE or BSE if their Pan card and Aadhaar card are not linked. Also, the Income Tax Department (I-T Dept) will not process the IT returns if the two cards of a taxpayer are not linked after March 31, 2023.

PAN-Aadhaar link check: How to check if your cards are linked or not

1. Visit the official e-filing portal of the Income Tax Department (https://www.incometax.gov.in/iec/foportal/).
2. Click on "Link Aadhaar Status" under the "Quick Links".
3. Enter the PAN and Aadhaar number and click "View Link Aadhaar Status".
4. If your Aadhaar and PAN are not linked, a pop-up menu on the screen will show "PAN not linked with Aadhaar. Please click on the "Link Aadhaar" link to link your Aadhaar with PAN."
5. If the cards are linked, the message will say, "Your Aadhaar is linked with PAN".

PAN-Aadhaar link online: Step-by-step guide here

1. Visit the Income Tax e-Filing portal (incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in).
2. Click on the "Link Aadhaar" option.
3. Enter your PAN, Aadhaar number, and name as per Aadhaar in the relevant fields.
4. Verify the details and submit.
5. Upon successful linking, a confirmation message will be displayed on the screen, and an OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number.

Why has the Centre made PAN-Aadhaar linking necessary?

The main reason behind making the linking of PAN cards and Aadhaar cards mandatory was to reduce the duplication of PAN cards. Multiple PAN cards issued to the same person lead to inaccuracy in calculating and collecting tax. It also makes it difficult for authorities to track tax evasion.

The mandatory linking of the two cards is expected to improve compliance and reduce tax evasion in India.

Who is exempted from PAN-Aadhaar linking?

Indian citizens with the age of above 80 are not required to link the two cards. Also, non-residents and non-citizens are not required to link PAN and Aadhaar cards.