Aadhaar-PAN Linking: Over 9 Crore PANs Linked. How To Link Yours

Aadhaar is to be linked with PAN by August 31

Do you know that over 9.3 crore PANs or Permanent Account Numbers have been linked with Aadhaar so far. That was the number of PAN-Aadhaar linkages in the run-up to the income tax return (ITR) deadline of August 5. With effect from July 1, linking of Aadhaar with PAN is mandatory for filing and processing of income tax return. PAN also needs to be linked with Aadhaar to obtain a new PAN. If you haven't linked your Aadhaar with the PAN database already, do it now. If you don't link it before August 31, 2017, you income tax return would not be processed.

Quoting Aadhaar or the acknowledgement number of Aadhaar application - in case of applicants who had applied for Aadhaar but hadn't received their biometrics-based identity number - was sufficient for filing ITR on the Income Tax Department's e-filing website. This was said by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) earlier. However, it has also said, that ITRs would not be processed until the actual linkage of Aadhaar with PAN. (Also read: How to check whether your PAN is active)

Here's how you can link your Aadhaar with PAN:

Through SMS

For all taxpayers whose name given in the Aadhaar card and PAN card are identical, a simple SMS-based facility is provided to achieve the linking. Such assessees need to send an SMS to 567678 or 56161 in the format: UIDPAN<12-digit Aadhaar><10-digit PAN>

For example: UIDPAN 111122223333 AAAPA9999Q

However, in case of assessees whose names given in the Aadhaar and PAN cards have a "minor mismatch", according to the Income Tax Department, the linking can be achieved using an online facility.

Give Aadhaar in PAN application form

Aadhaar can also be seeded into the PAN database by quoting the biometrics-based identity number in the PAN application form - for allotment of a new PAN or for reprint of PAN card, the taxman has said.

Through income tax e-filing website

A facility available on the Income Tax Department's e-filing website - incometaxIndiaefiling.gov.in - enables assessees with identical names given on Aadhaar and PAN as well as those with a minor mismatch to link the two identities.

The taxman has outlined steps to carry out this task through the portal: