It is mandatory to link our Permanent Account Number (PAN) card to our Aadhar card. It plays quite an important role in any type of documentation need. Whether it is about banking-related, educational purposes, or any other legal procedure. PAN is a ten-digit alphanumeric number issued by the Tax Department to a person who has applied for it. The Aadhaar Card is a 12-digit identity number that is provided by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to every citizen of India. Both of these documents are crucial for any kind of documentation process in the country.
Every PAN card holder has to link their PAN cards to Aadhaar cards which will make a smooth documentation process. It will also make it an easy process to file income tax returns. But many of us are still confused about whether our PAN-Aadhaar is linked or not. Then here are some steps that can easily be followed.
PAN-Aadhaar Link Procedure
According to the official government site of UIDAI, the user has to open the Income Tax e-filing website. Every new user has to register him/herself on the portal while the user’s PAN will be the user ID. Then after logging in, the user has to enter the User ID, password, and date of birth. A pop-up message will appear after successful login that prompts the user to link PAN with Aadhaar.
In case, if it doesn’t appear then the user needs to go to ‘Profile Settings’ on the Menu bar and click on ‘Link Aadhaar. The details such as date of birth and gender will already be specified as per the PAN details. The user has to verify the PAN details on the screen with the ones mentioned on the user’s Aadhaar. If there is a difference then the user needs to do the corrections according to the documents.
Whereas, if the details match then the user needs to enter the Aadhaar number and then click on the ‘link now’ button. After filing the correct information, a pop-up message will appear on the screen that the user’s Aadhaar has been linked with PAN successfully.
What is the Fee for Aadhaar PAN Linking?
The PAN-Aadhaar linking was free till March 31, 2022, and before June 30, 2022, a penalty of Rs. 500/- was charged. Although, after June 30, 2022, a penalty of Rs. 1,000/- is charged. As per a recent update, after July 1, 2023, if any user doesn’t link their Aadhaar-PAN then it will become inoperative.
Eligibility of Aadhaar-PAN Linking
As per Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act, every taxpayer who owns a PAN card has to link it with their Aadhaar cards. For non-resident Indians (NRIs), citizens aged more than 80 years, and the residents of Assam, Meghalaya, and Jammu and Kashmir need not link their Aadhaar with PAN cards. As they come under the exempt category.
Checking PAN-Aadhaar Link Status
According to the official government source, the Income Tax Department has provided an online facility to check the status of the PAN-Aadhaar link. As this is an online procedure, the user has to visit the official site Income Tax e-filing portal. Then under “Quick Links”, the user has to select “Link Aadhaar Status.” After following the process, the user has to enter their “PAN and Aadhaar number” and finally click on the “view link Aadhaar status” button.
A pop-up message related to the user’s Link Aadhaar status will then be displayed on successful validation. According to the user, the Link Aadhaar status will be changed accordingly. It must be noted that this process will work without logging into the Income Tax portal.
Using the Income Tax E-Filing Portal
The user can also check the status of PAN-Aadhaar linking by logging in to the website of the Income Tax e-filing portal. Then go to ‘Dashboard’ on the homepage then click on the ‘Link Aadhaar Status’ option. However, the user can also go to ‘My Profile’ and click on the ‘Link Aadhaar’ option. Once the user’s Aadhaar is linked to a PAN card, the Aadhaar number will be displayed. Whereas when the user’s Aadhaar is not linked with a PAN card, the ‘Link Aadhaar Status’ will be displayed.
When the request to link an Aadhaar with a PAN card is pending with the UIDAI for validation the user will have to check the status after some time. Moreover, there is a direct link from where the user can access the Aadhaar-PAN status. By entering the PAN and Aadhaar numbers they can check easily. By clicking the following link the user can see the status displayed on the screen.
Using SMS Service
One more easy way to check the Aadhaar & PAN link status is using SMS service. The user needs to write the SMS- UIDPAN <12 digit Aadhaar number> < 10 digit PAN number> and then send it to ‘567678’ or ‘56161’. Within a few minutes, the user can get a response from the government service. As per the users, the status changes accordingly.
Key Points for PAN-Aadhaar Link
- For those who haven’t linked their Aadhaar & PAN cards, they must link them as it is quite a crucial part of various financial transactions.
- The user will require a PAN Card, an Aadhaar Card, and a valid Mobile Number to smoothly complete the Aadhaar-PAN linking.
- The user can check the status of Aadhaar-PAN linking through his mobile number or Aadhaar Card number.
- After submitting the request for Aadhaar-PAN linking with all mandatory details, it will take almost 4-5 working days to complete the process.
- some banking authorities can be used for payment fees using e-Pay Tax. It includes Bank of India, Karur Vysya Bank, HDFC Bank, Indian Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of Maharashtra, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, and City Union Bank.
FAQs
Q: Is there still any penalty for Aadhaar-PAN Linking?
A: Yes, when a user applies for PAN-Aadhaar linking he/she has to pay the penalty fee of Rs. 1,000/-.
Q: Is any other document also required to link the PAN card with the Aadhaar card?
A: The user just has to use their PAN and Aadhaar card, while the Aadhaar-linked mobile number is used for one-time password (OTP) purposes.
Q: What can be done when a user’s PAN and Aadhaar card have any error?
A: In case any user has an error on his PAN and Aadhaar card, then he needs to update it with the correct information. He can visit either the NSDL portal, PAN centers, UIDAI portal, or Aadhaar card centers.
Q: Is it possible to link an Aadhaar card with a PAN card if it includes any error?
A: It is not possible to link the Aadhaar card with the PAN card when there is an error in any of the documents.
