How to Link the Aadhaar and PAN Card (Mandatory For All)

Linking Aadhaar number with PAN card will become mandatory for filing tax returns starting July 1, and with just one day left for the rule to come into effect, everyone is wondering how to link the two. If you are a tax payer, then you must link your Aadhaar with your PAN today so that you do not face any hiccups during tax season. The process is quite simple, and you can link Aadhaar to PAN by SMS or online. However, with the Income Tax e-filing portal experiencing heavy traffic and taking a long time to load, SMS seems to be like the better option for now.

How to link Aadhaar and PAN card by SMS.

The Income Tax department’s facility to link Aadhaar and PAN by SMS provides users with two numbers: 567678, and 56161. You need to send the SMS in the following format – UIDPAN<SPACE>123456789012<SPACE>ABCDE12345. In this, the 12-digit number represents you Aadhaar number, while the second one is your PAN card number.

If your name is spelt differently in the records of the two agencies, you will receive an Aadhaar OTP via SMS for confirmation. However, if other details, such as date of birth or sex, do not match, you will have to head to the National Securities Depository Ltd. website (for PAN), or UIDAI portal (for Aadhaar) to change details so that they match.

How to link Aadhaar and PAN card online

If you want to link your Aadhaar with PAN card, head over to the Income Tax e-filing portal and follow the steps below:

1. On the website, click on the link on the left saying Link Aadhaar.
2. Now, enter your PAN number, Aadhaar number, name as per Aadhaar, and the Captcha, and then click on Link Aadhaar.
3. This should link the PAN and Aadhaar, but if there is any discrepancy in your details, you’ll receive an Aadhaar OTP to confirm the linkage. Enter the OTP and click on Save to continue.
4. You can also link the details after logging in to the income tax website. Log in as you normally would and then click on Profile Settings in the top menu.
5. Next, find Link Aadhaar.
6. Enter your Aadhaar number and click on Save to continue.

This will only work if the details on the PAN and the Aadhaar card match. In case of any discrepancies, you can upload a scan of your PAN card, or register via OTP on your linked mobile number as mentioned above.

Though the process to link Aadhaar to PAN by SMS or the Internet is a must for all taxpayers, it is mandatory for those whose incomes do not fall under the taxable bracket as well. According to the government, this step will help curb tax evasion in the country.

The process of linking Aadhaar and PAN is, of course, mandatory only if you plan to file tax returns on July 1 or later. This means you can choose to file the tax returns today, and need not link the two IDs. Also, according to the Supreme Court ruling, those who do not have not been allotted Aadhaar number yet need not scramble for it, as the process is only for Aadhaar-holders. This has come as a major relief for those worried whether their PAN cards would become invalid if they do not link the two by July 1.