Last Updated on October 6, 2023 by BFSLTeam BFSLTeam
Being a citizen of India, your PAN card is an important document and serves to aid you in the access of various services and products in India. In the financial sphere, the PAN card, which acts as your photo ID proof, is important. Every Indian citizen should have a PAN card. This card serves the purpose of attaining another important document that acts as both proof of your identity and proof of your address, your Aadhaar card.
If you have a PAN card, you are automatically eligible to obtain a unique identification number which is imprinted in an Aadhaar card. The Aadhaar card, in turn, makes you eligible for a range of services and products in India. According to Income Tax laws in India, a PAN Aadhaar link is compulsory to undertake certain actions related to taxation.
The Importance of Linking Cards
As per the provisions of the Indian Income Tax Act of 1961, it is mandatory to have your PAN card and Aadhaar card linked. Although this regulation is imperative for the payment of income tax, it may serve other official purposes as well. In case you do not get a PAN Aadhaar link executed, your PAN stands to be “inoperative”, and this can result in the following:
- TCS and TDS will be deducted at a “non-PAN rate”.
- Form 15G and 15H will not be accepted and remain ineffective.
- Aligned with CDSL and NSDL regulations, you are not permitted to open a Demat account if your PAN is not operational.
- If you have an “inoperative PAN”, you are not permitted to invest in Sovereign Gold Bonds (as per the Reserve Bank of India extant guidelines).
- According to guidelines issued by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), you cannot open an ISA account or conduct any transactions thereof.
How to Link Your Aadhaar to Your PAN
You can easily link your Aadhaar to your PAN online via the portal of the Income Tax of India’s e-filing section. All you have to do first is visit the income tax portal home page. Then you can proceed with the following steps to get a quick PAN Aadhaar link done:
- Step 1
Go to the “Quick Links” section on the homepage of the income tax portal.
- Step 2
You can now click on “Link Aadhaar”.
- Step 3
Once you have clicked on the “Link Aadhaar” tab, a red box will be displayed. In the box, you will have to enter your Aadhaar number and your PAN number in the required fields.
- Step 4
After you have entered both your PAN and Aadhaar numbers in the necessary fields, you will have to proceed further. You must now click on “Continue to pay through e-pay tax”.
- Step 5
Now, you will have to enter your PAN in a required field, and then re-enter your PAN to confirm it. You will also have to enter your mobile number in a particular field.
- Step 6
An OTP will be sent to your mobile phone and you will have to verify your PAN number by entering the OTP in a required field on your display screen.
- Step 7
When you have successfully verified your PAN, you will be directed to a page for e-payment. You will see a red box/tile entitled “Income Tax”. Click on “Proceed”. You can now choose the assessment year, and the “type of payment” as other receipts. Then click on “Continue” to move ahead. The amount applicable will already be filled against the title “Others”. Now you must click on “Continue”.
- Step 8
At this stage, an e-challan will be displayed and you must opt for a payment mode. Then you will be directed to the website of the bank where you can pay the fee for linking the cards. After you pay the fees, you can place a request to get a PAN Aadhaar link done.
- Step 9
Now you may make a request for your PAN and Aadhaar to be linked. You can go to the homepage of the Income Tax portal and click on “Link Aadhaar” in the section entitled “Quick Links”.
- Step 10
You will again see fields in which to enter your PAN number and your Aadhaar number. After you have done this, you must press “Validate”.
- Step 11
Enter whatever compulsory information is required and then you can click on “Link Aadhaar”.
- Step 12
You will receive an OTP on your mobile number and this must be entered in a required field. Then you can press “Validate”.
- Step 13
Once you have clicked the “Validate” button, your PAN and Aadhaar will be successfully linked. You may check on the status of the linking on the same portal.
Note: The steps to link your PAN and your Aadhaar begin with you paying a fee for the linking process. This has to be done prior to making a request to get a PAN Aadhaar link done. Therefore, this is a part of the process to link your PAN card to your Aadhaar card.
Also Read: Apply for a New Aadhaar Card Online
Last Lines
The linking of your PAN and Aadhaar cards may seem like a tedious process, but once you are online, the procedure is menu-driven and can be undertaken easily. The linking of both cards is necessary to process your income tax returns seamlessly. For certain banking transactions that cross limits of amounts, this linking is compulsory as well. All said and done, linking your PAN card to your Aadhaar card can only yield benefits for you, especially if you are a salaried person who files income tax returns consistently.
