PAN Card Update: PAN Card (Permanent Account Number) is an ID card issued by the Income Tax Department in India which is an important document for the Income Tax Department.

The PAN Card (Permanent Account Number) is an essential ID card issued by the Income Tax Department in India for financial transactions and tax purposes. It is crucial to avoid having duplicate PAN cards, as it is illegal and can lead to serious consequences. Holding multiple PAN cards with the intention to deceive the government or evade taxes can result in fines of up to Rs 10,000, as per section 272B of the Income Tax Act.

The IT department issued a circular that it is mandatory for all PAN-holders (except those who fall under the exempt category) to link their PAN-Aadhaar within 30th June 2023. Initially, the IT department mandated to link PAN-Aadhaar by 31st March 2022 and then extended it to 30th June 2022. However, people who linked their PAN-Aadhaar between 1st July 2022 to 30th June 2022 had to pay a fine of Rs.500.

Subsequently, the IT department extended the last date to link PAN-Aadhaar to 30th June 2023. PAN holders who link PAN-Aadhaar between 1st July 2022 to 30th June 2023 must pay a penalty of Rs.1,000. PAN card will become inoperative from 01st July 2023 if PAN holders do not link it with their Aadhaar card. The IT department has mandated linking PAN-Aadhaar to regulate and curb tax evasion.

Who falls under the exempt category for PAN-Aadhaar linking?

The exempt category people need not link PAN-Aadhaar within 30th June 2023. The exempt category is as follows:

Importance of linking PAN with Aadhaar card

  • The PAN card of a person will become inoperative when it is not linked to an Aadhaar card.
  • PAN-Aadhaar linking is required when filing the Income Tax Return (ITR). The IT department may reject the ITR when PAN and Aadhaar are not linked.
  • PAN and Aadhaar cards are required to be submitted to get government services, such as applying for a passport, obtaining subsidies and opening a bank account. Thus, it is difficult to access government services when PAN and Aadhaar cards are not linked.
  • When the PAN-Aadhaar is not linked, getting a new PAN card may be difficult if the old one is damaged or lost since it is mandatory to mention the Aadhaar card number while applying for a new PAN card.

Consequences of not linking PAN with Aadhaar card

When the PAN-Aadhaar cards are not linked within the last date, it becomes inoperative as a result of which:

However, the PAN can be made operative again in 30 days, upon intimation of Aadhaar number to the prescribed authority after payment of fee of Rs.1,000.

Penalty for non-linking of PAN with Aadhaar card

The taxpayers who have not linked their PAN-Aadhaar within the last date of 30th June 2023, can do so by paying a late penalty of Rs.1,000. They must pay the penalty before filing for the PAN-Aadhaar link on the Income Tax website. However, they need to ensure they have a valid PAN number, Aadhaar number and mobile number to pay the penalty.

Follow the below steps to pay the penalty for re-activating an inoperative PAN card:

Step 1: Visit the Income Tax e-Filing Portal.

Step 2: Click the ‘e-Pay Tax’ option under the ‘Quick Links’ heading.

Step 3: Enter the ‘PAN’ number under ‘PAN/TAN’ and ‘Confirm PAN/TAN’ column, enter mobile number and click the ‘Continue’ button.

Step 4: After OTP verification, it will be redirected to e-Pay Tax page. Click the ‘Continue’ button.

Step 5:  Click the ‘Proceed’ button under the ‘Income Tax’ tab.

Step 6: Select Assessment Year as ‘2023-24’ and ‘Type of Payment (Minor Head)’ as ‘Other Receipts (500)’ and click the ‘Continue’ button.

Step 7: The applicable amount will be pre-filled against ‘Others’ option. Click ‘Continue’ button and make the payment.

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

After making the payment, proceed to link your PAN with Aadhaar card.

How to link a PAN with an Aadhaar card?

Taxpayers can link their PAN with their Aadhaar after four to five days of paying the penalty by following the steps below:

Step 1: Go to the Income Tax e-filing portal.

Step 2: Under the ‘Quick Links’ heading on the left-hand side of the homepage, click on the ‘Link Aadhaar’ option.

Step 3: Enter the ‘PAN’ and ‘Aadhaar Number’ and click the ‘Validate’ button.

Step 4: 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.

Step 5: Enter the required details and click the ‘Link Aadhaar’ button.

Step 6: Enter the OTP received on the mobile number.

Step 7: The request to link the PAN-Aadhaar card will be successfully submitted. 

A taxpayer can also visit a PAN card centre, fill out the appropriate form and submit it with photocopies of PAN and Aadhaar cards for PAN-Aadhaar linking.