Linking PAN with Aadhaar is mandatory for most taxpayers under Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act. The government had set June 30, 2023 as the last date for free or low cost linking. After that, PANs that were not linked became inoperative. If you still have not done it, you can link PAN with Aadhaar now by paying a fee of Rs 1,000.
What an inoperative PAN means
According to the Income Tax Department, if your PAN is inoperative you cannot get tax refunds, TDS and TCS may be deducted at higher rates, and you may face trouble in banking and investment work that requires a valid PAN. The PAN becomes operative again within about 30 days after it is linked.
Who is exempt
Some groups are exempt, as per the department’s notification. These include residents of Assam, Jammu and Kashmir and Meghalaya, non residents as defined in the Act, people aged 80 years or more, and those who are not citizens of India. Check the latest list on the e-filing portal before assuming you are exempt.
Step 1: Check the link status
- Visit incometax.gov.in.
- Under Quick Links, click Link Aadhaar Status.
- Enter your PAN and Aadhaar number and click View Link Aadhaar Status.
If the portal says your PAN is already linked, you do not need to do anything.
Also Read: Jio Platforms IPO Allotment: How to Check Status
Step 2: Pay the fee
- On the portal, go to e-Pay Tax under Quick Links.
- Enter your PAN, confirm it and enter the mobile number for OTP.
- Choose Assessment Year as instructed on the portal, Minor Head 500 (Other Receipts) and pay Rs 1,000.
- Keep the challan receipt.
It may take a few days for the payment to reflect.
Step 3: Link Aadhaar
- Go back to Quick Links and click Link Aadhaar.
- Enter your PAN and Aadhaar number and validate.
- Enter your name as per Aadhaar and the OTP received on your Aadhaar linked mobile.
- Submit the request.
You can check the status again after some days.
If names or dates do not match
Linking fails when your name, date of birth or gender is different on PAN and Aadhaar. Correct the mismatch first, either through the UIDAI website for Aadhaar or through the PAN service providers Protean or UTIITSL for PAN. Then try linking again.
Beware of fraud
The Income Tax Department never asks for OTPs or bank details over phone calls or SMS links. Do the process yourself on incometax.gov.in.
Bottom line
Link PAN with Aadhaar as soon as possible if your PAN is inoperative. The fee is fixed at Rs 1,000, and the process takes less than 15 minutes on the official portal.
Source / स्रोत: Income Tax e-filing portal, Income Tax Department
