PAN-Aadhaar Linking Deadline Nears: Here's What To Do

In September this year, the finance ministry provided relief by extending the previous deadline of September 30 to link PAN Card and Aadhaar Card by another three months to December 31. So, as less time of some 20 days is left you need to gear up on this front. Here is how to link your PAN with Aadhaar Card.

Ways to Link PAN and Aadhaar

1. If you are registered on the income tax e-filing portal: In a case when you had been filing ITR and provided your aadhaar number while filing the return, there remains a probability that your PAN and aadhaar are already linked. This is because the department of income tax links the two IDs if it has the details of both of them.

To further confirm the linking status of PAN and aadhaar, you need to visit the e-filing website www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in. Read on to know more here on checking the status of PAN-aadhaar linking.

2. For individuals who are not registered on e-filing portal: If you are not registered on the e-filing portal or do not wish to go about the process, then you can click on the tab 'Link Aadhaar' which is the first link under Quick Links on the extreme left. As you click on the link, you will be taken to a new page, wherein you need to enter all such required information including your PAN number, aadhaar number, name as on Aadhaar card. Also, if only year is mentioned in your aadhaar, you need to specify it by ticking in the box for the purpose

Now you need to enter the captcha as shown in the image. Visually impaired individuals have an option to receive OTP. Lastly, click on 'Link Aadhaar' option. On successful submission, a message will appear saying PAN and aadhaar successfully linked.

Why You are Required to Link PAN and Aadhaar?

If you file tax returns then you are required to link the two Ids i.e. PAN and aadhaar as without it income tax return cannot be filed. It is from this financial year i.e. FY 2019-20 that the quoting as well as linking of PAN with aadhaar has been made mandatory for filing tax return, unless it is in some particular case exempted.

Also, if you are considering quoting Aadhaar in lieu of PAN in places where PAN is mandatory, you need to link the two IDs. This is because without it, you may be issued a second PAN which is illegal as per income tax laws. Budget 2019 presented in July this year allowed quoting of aadhaar in lieu of PAN wherever quoting of PAN is mandatory.

Thereafter in August end, the CBDT released a notification which stated that if someone without a PAN gives his or her aadhaar for carrying out a financial transaction, the department would consider it as an auto-application for PAN and the individual will be allotted the same.

And so if you do not go on to link your PAN with aadhaar by the extended time allowed, your PAN would become inoperative as per existing rules.

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