Guwahati: The government has extended the last date for linking the Permanent Account Number (PAN) with the Aadhaar card by another six months, with the new last date now being March 31, 2022. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) announced that the extension of the last date for linking the two identification cards is done to provide relief to taxpayers and address difficulties faced amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that citizens can now link the two cards by the end of the current financial year.
This is the fourth time that the government has extended the last date for linking the two identification documents. Initially, the last date was set as March 31, 2021, which was extended to June 30, and then to September 30. Now, the deadline is again extended by six months – till the end of the current fiscal.
If the PAN card is not linked with the Aadhaar card, it is likely to become inoperative and may attract a late fee of ₹ 1,000. Also, one may not be able to carry financial transactions where its is mandatory to provide PAN card details.
The Unique Identity number – Aadhaar is a 12-digit number issued by the Aadhaar-issuing body -Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), whereas PAN is a 10-digit alphanumeric number which is allotted by the Income Tax department. PAN card is essential for completing several financial transactions where quoting PAN is necessary. Linking the PAN and Aadhaar card is compulsory to complete income tax-related activities such as filing income-tax returns (ITRs).
Linking the two identification documents is a simple process as the Income Tax department allows taxpayers to link the two unique identification numbers on its official website. The two documents can also be linked by sending an SMS to 567678 or 56161. It can also be done manually by filling a form at a designated PAN service centre.
Here’s how you can link your PAN with your Aadhaar card online:
- Log on to the income tax e-filing website – www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in
- Click on the ‘Link Aadhaar’ option
- Enter the correct Permanent Account Number, Aadhaar Number, and your full name (as given in the Aadhaar card) in the relevant fields.
- Enter the details such as date of birth in the designated fields
- Enter the correct captcha code in the relevant field
- Select the relevant option and click on the ‘link Aadhaar’ button at the bottom of the page
(ANI)
