Aadhaar-PAN linking deadline to end today; here's how to link the two and check the status

The deadline for linking the Aadhaar card with the Permanent Account Number (PAN) card is today, March 31, 2021. As per the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) notification, linking the two is requisite for certain services.

If the two are not linked by the stipulated deadline, PAN may become 'inoperative.' This means that users will no longer be able to conduct any financial transactions in which one is required to quote their PAN.

Besides, recently the government of India enacted the Finance Bill 2021 in the Lok Sabha and included a new section 234H under which a person will be subjected to pay a late fee of up to Rs 1,000 if their PAN is not linked with Aadhaar.

However, a more detailed clarification is still awaiting. Meanwhile, subscribers who have not yet linked the two can do so by visiting the Income Tax (I-T) department's official e-filing website. The Income Tax Department also offers an SMS-based service for linking Aadhaar with PAN.

The steps to connect Aadhaar with a PAN via the income-tax e-filing portal are as follows:

Step 1: Go to the income tax e-filing portal (incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in)
Step 2: Register (if not already done) or Login by entering the user ID, password and date of birth
Step 3: A pop-up window will appear, assisting to link the PAN with Aadhaar. And if not, go to ‘Profile Settings’ on the 'Menu' bar and click on ‘Link Aadhaar’
Step 4: Details - name, date of birth and gender - will already be listed as per the PAN information. Check the PAN details on screen with the ones mentioned on the Aadhaar
Step 5: If the details match, enter the Aadhaar number and click on the 'link now' button. A pop-up message will appear confirming that Aadhaar and PAN have been successfully linked

The following are the steps to connect your Aadhaar number to your PAN number via SMS:

And as per the Income Tax Department, users can send an SMS in the following format to 567678 or 56161:

UIDPAN<12 digit Aadhaar><10 digit PAN>
For example: UIDPAN 111122223333 AAAPA9999Q

Users can check the status of the link via the income tax e-filing website after they've linked the two.

The steps are as follows:

Step 1: In the Income Tax e-filing website visit Aadhaar status (incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/aadhaarstatus)
Step 2: Enter PAN and Aadhaar Number
Step 3: Click on 'View Link Aadhaar Status'
Step 4: On the next screen, the status of the linking will be displayed.

To check the status of your Aadhaar-PAN card linking via SMS, follow these steps:

For this, users need to send an SMS to 567678 or 56161 in the following format:

UIDPAN < 12 digit Aadhaar number> < 10 digit Permanent Account Number>
This message will appear if the linking is successful:
"Aadhaar...is already associated with PAN..in ITD database. Thank you for using our services."

Furthermore, those who are not comfortable linking PAN cards with Aadhaar online can do it by visiting the PAN services centres of NSDL and UTITSL.