PAN-Aadhaar Linking: Do it by THIS date or face a penalty of Rs 1,000

New Delhi: The central government's Income Tax Department has announced an extension to the duty of linking PAN and Aadhaar for citizens. The Central Board of Direct Taxes, or CBDT, has extended the deadline for linking PAN and Aadhaar till March 31, 2023, but at a cost. Those who link their PAN-Aadhaar at this time will be fined if they do not complete this required task. "In the situation where such intimation is made within three months from the date referred to in sub-section," that is by June 30, 2022, a penalty of Rs 500 has to be paid." After then, a fine of Rs 1,000 must be paid to link Aadhaar and PAN.

“Every person who, in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (2) of section 139AA, is required to intimate his Aadhaar number to the prescribed authority in the prescribed form and manner, fails to do so by the date referred to in the said sub-section, shall, at the time of subsequent intimation of his Aadhaar number to the prescribed authority, be liable to pay, by way of fee, an amount equal to, — (a) five hundred rupees, in a case where such intimation is made within three months from the date referred to in sub-section (2) of section 139AA; and (b) one thousand rupees, in all other cases,” the latest CBDT order stated.

PAN and Aadhaar can be linked in a variety of ways. For starters, you can do it without logging into the income tax portal or by logging into your account. To link your PAN and Aadhaar, along with other essential information, you must input your PAN and Aadhaar numbers.

Apart from these options, according to fresh updates from Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), you can now link your Aadhaar card to your PAN card by SMS. Sending an SMS from your registered phone number to 567678 or 56161 will complete the connection process.

The government has repeatedly stated that connecting Aadhaar and PAN is a need that will assist authorities in combating fraud. As a result, the Centre has no plans to amend its stance, and there will be consequences if PAN-Aadhaar is not linked by March 31 next year.

The PAN allocated to the individual will be made inoperative in compliance with the Act if the Aadhaar number is not communicated by the last extended announced date, which is March 31, 2023, according to the CBDT's order. A non-functioning PAN can result in a variety of issues, including the inability to file a tax return, the failure to process pending returns and refunds, increased tax deductions, and more. As a result, integrating PAN and Aadhaar is a critical duty.