Linking Pan With Aadhaar: What's The Cost?

Linking your PAN card with your Aadhaar card is a mandatory process in India. The Income Tax Department has made it compulsory for all taxpayers to link their PAN with their Aadhaar card by 31st May 2024. This is to ensure that income tax returns can be processed. If you don't link your PAN with your Aadhaar, your PAN will become inoperative, and you will face consequences such as higher tax deductions, inability to file tax returns, and difficulty in accessing financial services.

The process of linking PAN with Aadhaar is straightforward and can be done online through the Income Tax e-Filing portal. However, if you missed the official deadline of 30th June 2023, you will be required to pay a late penalty fee of Rs. 1,000. Once the payment is made, it can take up to 30 days for your PAN to become operational again.

How to check if your PAN is linked to your Aadhaar card

To check if your PAN is linked to your Aadhaar card, follow these steps:

Checking the status online

• Visit the Income Tax e-filing portal.
• Click on the 'Link Aadhaar Status' under the 'Quick Links' on the homepage.
• Enter your PAN and Aadhaar number and click 'View Link Aadhaar Status'.
• A message will be displayed regarding your Link Aadhaar Status.

Checking the status via SMS

• Write the following SMS - UIDPAN <12-digit Aadhaar number> <10-digit PAN number>.
• Send the SMS to '567678' or '56161'.
• Wait for the response from the government service.

If your PAN and Aadhaar are already linked, you can proceed with your Income Tax Filing. If they are not linked, you can follow the steps outlined below to link them.

Linking your PAN and Aadhaar

• Visit the Income Tax e-Filing Portal.
• Click the 'e-Pay Tax' option under the 'Quick Links' heading.
• Enter the 'PAN' number under 'PAN/TAN' and 'Confirm PAN/TAN' column, enter a mobile number and click the 'Continue' button.
• After OTP verification, you will be redirected to the e-Pay Tax page. Click the 'Continue' button.
• Click the 'Proceed' button under the 'Income Tax' tab.
• Select the Assessment Year as '2024-25' or 2025-26, 'Type of Payment (Minor Head)' as 'Other Receipts (500)' and 'Sub-type of Payment' as 'Fee for delay in linking PAN with Aadhaar' or 'Other Receipts (500)' and click the 'Continue' button.
• The applicable amount will be pre-filled against the 'Others' option. Click the 'Continue' button and make the payment.
• After making the payment, proceed to link your PAN with Aadhaar card.
• Under the Quick Links heading on the left-hand side of the homepage, click on the 'Link Aadhaar' option.
• Enter the 'PAN' and 'Aadhaar Number' and click the 'Validate' button.
• A pop-up message stating 'Your payment details are verified' will appear when the penalty payment has been verified. Click the 'Continue' button to submit the linking request.
• Enter the required details and click the 'Link Aadhaar' button.
• Enter the OTP received on the mobile number.
• The request to link the PAN-Aadhaar card will be successfully submitted.

How to link your PAN to your Aadhaar card after the deadline

The Indian government has made it mandatory for all taxpayers with a PAN card to link it with their Aadhaar card by the deadline of 30 June 2023. If you missed this deadline, don't worry; you can still link your Aadhaar with PAN by following the below steps, but you will have to pay a late penalty of Rs. 1,000.

Payment of Penalty

Follow the steps below to pay the penalty for linking PAN-Aadhaar numbers:

• Visit the Income Tax e-Filing Portal.
• Click the 'e-Pay Tax' option under the 'Quick Links' heading.
• Enter the 'PAN' number under the 'PAN/TAN' and 'Confirm PAN/TAN' columns, enter your mobile number, and click the 'Continue' button.
• After OTP verification, you will be redirected to the e-Pay Tax page. Click 'Continue'.
• Click the 'Proceed' button under the 'Income Tax' tab.
• Select the Assessment Year as '2025-26', the 'Type of Payment (Minor Head)' as 'Other Receipts (500)', and the Sub-type of Payment as 'Fee for delay in linking PAN with Aadhaar'. Then click 'Continue'.
• The applicable amount will be pre-filled against the 'Others' option. Click 'Continue' and make the payment.

You can pay the late penalty on the Income Tax e-filing Portal through net banking, debit card, over the counter, NEFT/RTGS, or payment gateway option. However, the payment gateway option is only available if you have a bank account with the following authorised banks:

• Central Bank of India
• Indian Overseas Bank
• Jammu & Kashmir Bank
• Punjab National Bank
• Union Bank of India

Submit the Aadhaar-PAN Link Request

After paying the penalty, proceed to link your PAN with Aadhaar card immediately by following the steps below:

Method 1: Without Logging into Your Account

• Go to the Income Tax e-filing portal. Under 'Quick Links', click on the 'Link Aadhaar' tab.
• Enter your PAN and Aadhaar number and click the 'Validate' button.
• Enter your name as per your Aadhaar card and mobile number, and click the 'Link Aadhaar' button.
• Enter the OTP received on your mobile number and click the 'Validate' button.
• The request for PAN Aadhaar linking will be sent to the UIDAI for validation.

Method 2: Logging into Your Account

• Register yourself at the Income Tax e-filing portal if you are not already registered.
• Log in to the e-filing portal of the income tax department by entering your user ID.
• Confirm your secure access message and enter your password. Click 'Continue' to proceed.
• After logging in to the website, click on 'Link Aadhaar'. Alternatively, go to 'My Profile' and select 'Link Aadhaar' under the 'Personal Details' option.
• Enter your Aadhaar number and click the 'Validate' button.
• A pop-up message will inform you that your Aadhaar number has been successfully linked to your PAN card.

Once you have sent a request to link PAN with Aadhaar, the UIDAI will process the request. The reactivation of your PAN card will take around 7 to 30 days from the date of submission of the request.

What happens if your PAN card is not linked to your Aadhaar card

The Indian government has made it mandatory for all taxpayers to link their PAN cards with their Aadhaar cards. The last date for this was 30 June 2023, and failure to do so will result in the PAN card becoming inoperative from 1 July 2023.

If your PAN card is not linked to your Aadhaar card, you will not be able to provide your PAN number for financial transactions. This means that you will not be able to open a bank account, obtain a credit or debit card, or make bank transactions over ₹10,000. You will also not be able to file your income tax returns or claim tax refunds. Furthermore, your service recipients will make higher tax deductions.

However, you can still apply for linking your PAN with your Aadhaar after the deadline by paying a penalty of ₹1,000. The process to do so is outlined below:

Steps to link PAN with Aadhaar after the deadline:

• Visit the Income Tax e-Filing Portal.
• Click the 'e-Pay Tax' option under the 'Quick Links' heading.
• Enter your PAN number, confirm it, and enter your mobile number.
• After OTP verification, you will be redirected to the e-Pay Tax page.
• Click the 'Proceed' button under the 'Income Tax' tab.
• Select the Assessment Year as '2024-25' and the 'Type of Payment (Minor Head)' as 'Other Receipts (500)'. Then, select 'Fee for delay in linking PAN with Aadhaar' and click 'Continue'.
• The applicable amount of ₹1,000 will be pre-filled. Click 'Continue' and make the payment.
• After making the payment, go back to the Income Tax e-Filing Portal.
• Under the 'Quick Links' heading, click on the 'Link Aadhaar' option.
• Enter your PAN and Aadhaar numbers and click 'Validate'.
• A pop-up message will appear stating that your payment details have been verified. Click 'Continue' to submit the linking request.
• Enter the required details and click the 'Link Aadhaar' button.
• Enter the OTP received on your mobile number.
• Your request to link your PAN with your Aadhaar will be successfully submitted.

Your PAN card will become operative again within 7-30 days of submitting the linking request.

How to activate an inoperative PAN card and link it with an Aadhaar card

If you have missed the deadline to link your PAN card with your Aadhaar card, your PAN card will become inoperative. This means that you will be restricted from accessing certain services and completing transactions that require a PAN card. However, you can still activate your inoperative PAN card and link it with your Aadhaar card by following the steps outlined below:

Step 1: Pay the Penalty Fee

Firstly, you will need to pay a penalty fee of Rs. 1,000. Here are the steps to pay the penalty:

• Visit the Income Tax e-Filing Portal.
• Click on the 'e-Pay Tax' option under the 'Quick Links' heading.
• Enter your PAN number, confirm it, and provide a mobile number to receive an OTP.
• After OTP verification, you will be redirected to the e-Pay Tax page. Click 'Continue'.
• Click 'Proceed' under the 'Income Tax' tab.
• Select the Assessment Year as '2024-25' and the Type of Payment (Minor Head) as 'Other Receipts (500)'.
• Select 'Fee for delay in linking PAN with Aadhar' and click 'Continue'.
• The applicable amount of Rs. 1,000 will be pre-filled. Click 'Continue' again and proceed to make the payment.

You can pay the penalty fee through net banking, debit card, over the counter, NEFT/RTGS, or via specific authorised banks' payment gateways.

Step 2: Link Your PAN Card with Your Aadhaar Card

After paying the penalty, you can proceed to link your PAN card with your Aadhaar card. This can be done through the e-filing portal or by submitting a request offline.

#### Online Method:

• Visit the Income Tax e-filing portal.
• Under the 'Quick Links' section, click on 'Link Aadhaar'.
• Enter your PAN and Aadhaar numbers.
• Enter your name as mentioned on your Aadhaar card.
• If your date of birth is mentioned on your Aadhaar card, tick the box that says 'I agree to validate my Aadhaar details with UIDAI'.
• Enter the OTP received on your mobile number and click 'Link Aadhaar'.
• A pop-up message will confirm that your PAN and Aadhaar linking request has been submitted successfully.

#### Offline Method:

• Visit a PAN card centre.
• Fill out the appropriate form and submit it along with photocopies of your PAN and Aadhaar cards.

Step 3: Check the Status of Your PAN-Aadhaar Linking

You can check the status of your PAN-Aadhaar linking by following these steps:

• Visit the official e-filing portal of the Income Tax Department.
• On the homepage, click on the 'Link Aadhaar Status' option.
• Enter your PAN and Aadhaar numbers.
• Click on 'View Link Aadhaar Status'.
• If your PAN and Aadhaar are successfully linked, a confirmation message will be displayed.

Please note that it may take up to 30 days for your PAN card to become operative again after completing the linking process. During this time, your PAN status will be shown as 'Active but inoperative', and you may be subject to higher tax deductions.

How to check the status of your Aadhaar card and PAN card link

To check the status of your Aadhaar card and PAN card link, you can use the online facility provided by the Income Tax Department. Here are the steps you need to follow:

Method 1: Checking the status without logging into the Income Tax portal

• Visit the Income Tax e-filing portal.
• Under the 'Quick Links' heading, click on 'Link Aadhaar Status'.
• Enter your PAN number and Aadhaar Number.
• Click on 'View Link Aadhaar Status'.
• A message will be displayed on successful validation, indicating whether your Aadhaar is linked to your PAN card or if the linking request is in progress.

Method 2: Checking the status by logging into the Income Tax portal

• Log in to the Income Tax e-filing portal.
• Go to 'Dashboard' on the homepage and click on the 'Link Aadhaar Status' option. Alternatively, you can go to 'My Profile' and click on the 'Link Aadhaar Status' option.
• If your Aadhaar is linked to your PAN card, the Aadhaar number will be displayed. If it is not linked, the message 'Link Aadhaar Status' will be displayed.
• If your request to link your Aadhaar with your PAN card is pending with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for validation, you will need to check the status later.

Checking the status via SMS

• Write an SMS in the following format: UIDPAN <12-digit Aadhaar number> <10-digit PAN number>.
• Send the SMS to '567678' or '56161'.
• Wait for the response from the government service, which will confirm whether your Aadhaar is linked to your PAN card or not.

Frequently asked questions