PAN-Aadhar linking deadline on March 31: How to avoid Rs 10,000 penalty charges

New Delhi, Mar 18: The last date to link your PAN to Aadhaar card is Mar 31. Those who fail to do so will attract a penalty of Rs 10,000. The move aims to eliminate duplicate PAN cards that are used for various illegal financial transactions.

While you can continue to link your PAN with Aadhaar after March 31 by paying the penalty amount, it is better to do the linking process before deadline and save yourself from unnecessary charges.

The government introduced an amendment to the Finance Bill, 2021, under which a person will be liable to pay a late fee of up to Rs 1,000 in case he/she does not link PAN card with Aadhaar card.

Rs 1,000 penalty will be in addition to other consequences the person will face if PAN becomes inoperative.

If you were to miss the deadline to link the two, you will also be liable for all the consequences under the IT Act for not furnishing, intimating or quoting the PAN, which includes paying higher income tax.

If you were to miss the deadline to link the two, you will also be liable for all the consequences under the IT Act for not furnishing, intimating or quoting the PAN, which includes paying higher income tax.

Further, as per rules, any person who quotes a cancelled or inoperative PAN is liable to pay a fine of up to Rs 10,000 under section 272B of the Income Tax Act.

While Aadhaar is issued by UIDAI to a resident, PAN is a 10-digit alphanumeric number allotted by the tax department to a person, firm or entity. The same set of information is required to get a new PAN.

How to link Aadhaar card through e-Filing website

• Go to Income Tax e-filing portal incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in
• Click on Link Aadhaar' section on the left side of the portal
• Enter PAN number, Aadhaar number, name and the CAPTCHA.
• Click on the 'Link Aadhaar' button.
• After verification, your PAN Aadhaar Link status will become available.

How to link Aadhaar card to PAN card via SMS

To link your PAN with Aadhaar, type UIDPAN (12-digit Aadhaar number) (10-digit PAN number) and send it to 567678 or 56161.

How to check Aadhar linked with PAN

If you have already linked your PAN with your Aadhaar, you can check the status both online as well as offline.

Visit www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/aadhaarstatus
Enter PAN and Aadhaar Number
Click on 'View Link Aadhaar Status'
Your status will appear in the next screen