Link Aadhaar Card and PAN Card

A PAN (Permanent Account Number) card is a unique 10 character code that is assigned to all tax paying entities in India. Issued by the Income Tax Department, the card links all transactions that attract tax under a single source, making it convenient for the government to keep track of these.

A PAN card is necessary for filing Income Tax returns in the country, and all individuals and entities that pay tax, including foreigners are expected to have one.

Besides its primary use, a PAN card is also used as proof of identity and age for everything from booking tickets for a movie, investing in the stock market to applying for a passport.

The Aadhaar card is a unique identification card that is assigned to every Indian citizen. Issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India, the card is a 12 digit number that serves as proof of identity as well as proof of address. An initiative by the government to have a single identification document for every citizen in the country, the card is a personal identification card that contains the individual’s biometric and demographic information.

Nowadays, a number of government services and schemes require an Aadhaar number for registration and verification purposes, thereby making it an important document.

Here's how to link Aadhaar with PAN using SMS

The Income Tax Department declared today that taxpayers should link their PAN card with their Aadhaar card using an easy SMS-based process.

SMS format to link Aadhaar with PAN

Send SMS to 567678 or 56161 in following format:

UIDPAN<12 digit Aadhaar><10 digit PAN>

Example: UIDPAN 3421342112341234 AAAAAE12EE

The department issued ads in newspapers across the country and explained how both the both the unique identity numbers of a person can be attached by sending a message to either 56161 or 567678.

People can also go to the official e-filing website of the Income Tax Department and link both these documents. Linking these two proofs of identity will help you to get tax facilities online.

Aadhaar can also be fed into PAN database by mentioning Aadhar in PAN application to get a new PAN allotment or by mentioning Aadhaar in the request to change for that is used to reprint a PAN card, explained an advertisement. Once the UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) verifies the data, the linking will be completed.

The individual will receive an OTP from the Aadhar database to their registered mobile number. It has been made compulsory by the government, for the tax payers, to mention the Aadhar or the enrolment id at the time of filing their Income-Tax returns (ITR).

Know More about Linking Pan with Aadhar

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Procedure for Linking PAN Card and Aadhaar Card

In order to link PAN and Aadhaar cards, tax payers have to first register on the Income tax e-Filing portal. Once they have done so, they are to follow the steps outlined below:

• Log in to the e-Filing portal of the Income Tax Department by entering the log-in ID, password and date of birth
• On logging in to the site, a pop up window will appear, prompting you to link your PAN card with Aadhaar card.
• Details such as name, date of birth and gender will already be mentioned as per the details submitted at the time of registration on the e-Filing portal.
• Verify the details on screen with the ones mentioned on your Aadhaar card.
• If the details match, enter your Aadhaar card number and click on the “link now” button.
• A pop-up message will inform you that your Aadhaar card has been successfully linked to your PAN card.

Step 1:

Open the Income Tax e-filing portal.

Register on it. Your PAN (Permanent Account Number) will be your user id.

Login on the page using your User ID, Password and Date of Birth.

Here a popup window will appear if not just find the blue tab on the highest bar named ‘Profile Settings’ on Menu bar and click on on ‘Link Aadhaar’.

Step 2:

Add the required details like name, DOB and gender as per pan details after Enter your 12 digit Aadhaar card number and verify captcha and Click On Link Aadhaar.

Step 3:

Finally a popup message will display as your Aadhaar card has been successfully linked to your PAN card.

Importance of Linking PAN Card with Aadhaar Card

Both the PAN card as well as the Aadhaar card are unique identification cards that serve as proof of identity that are necessary for registration and verification purposes.

The government has urged all entities to link their PAN cards with their Aadhaar cards. This is being done for the following purposes:

Prevent Tax Evasion:

By linking the Aadhaar and PAN cards, the government will be able to keep tabs on the taxable transactions of a particular individual or entity, whose identity and address will be verified by his Aadhaar card. This will effectively mean that every taxable transaction or activity will be recorded by the government.

As a result, the government will already have a detailed record of all the financial transactions that would attract tax for each entity, making tax evasion a thing of the past.

Multiple PAN Cards:

Another reason for linking PAN with Aadhaar is to reduce the occurrence of individuals or entities applying for multiple PAN cards in an effort to defraud the government and avoid paying taxes.

By applying for more than one PAN card, an entity can use one of the cards for a certain set of financial transactions and pay taxes applicable for those. Meanwhile, the other PAN card can be used for accounts or transactions that the entity wishes to conceal from the Income Tax department, thereby avoiding paying tax on them.

By linking the PAN and Aadhaar card, the government will be able to link the identity of an entity through his/her Aadhaar card, and subsequently have details of all financial transactions made through the linked PAN card. If there are multiple PAN cards registered under the same name, the government will be able to identify the same and take corrective action.

Ease in Filing of Income Tax Returns:

Entities who have linked their PAN and Aadhaar cards will be able to file their e-Returns, or their online Income Tax returns seamlessly and quickly. By linking the two, entities will no longer have to submit their Income Tax acknowledgement to the IT department, thus saving tax payers a lot of trouble.

Correction facility for linking PAN with Aadhaar is launched by the Income Tax Department

The IT department has started the online facility for correction of errors in names and other information present on the Aadhaar document and Permanent Account Number (PAN) card. The Income Tax department already launched the facility to link the PAN Card with Aadhaar. Now it has also added two hyperlinks on the official website for e-filing of tax. One link takes to the application page for Permanent Account number by an Indian national or a foreigner and the other link takes you to the page where you can update all the necessary changes. In order to update all the Aadhaar details, an individual can easily log on to the Aadhaar SSUP (Self Service Update Portal). He/she can also upload all the scanned documents that are needed as data update request proof.

More than 1.22 crore assessees have already linked their PAN and Aadhaar. However, this number is pretty low as the total number of people who got Aadhaar is 111 crore and the number of people who have been issued PAN stands at over 25 crore. According to the statistics offered by the Income Tax department, at present, there are only 6 crore people in India who file their income tax properly.

As per Arun Jaitley, the Finance Minister of India, made the Aadhaar mandatory for the filing of Income Tax. This was done so that tax evaders are not able to avoid their tax payments by showing multiple PAN cards.

FAQs for Linking Aadhaar with PAN

1. If I don’t fall into the taxable bracket, do I still have to get an Aadhaar card or have it linked to my PAN?

   Considering the fact that you would have to pay tax in the future due to either change of jobs or increase in salary due to a promotion or bonus, it is advisable you apply for an Aadhaar card and have it linked with PAN.

2. Do NRIs residing in India have to link their PAN as well?

   NRIs (Non-Resident Indian) who have been living for a period of more than 182 days outside India within the last 12 months do not have to apply for an Aadhaar Card.

3. Is it mandatory to create an account with the department website?

   No, it is not necessary to have an account with the department website. There is a direct link that is available which you can use to link your PAN and Aadhaar Card.

4. I used to live in India but settled abroad. I plan on returning to India. Do I need to apply for an Aadhaar Card or am I exempted from this rule?

   If you plan on staying in the country for more than 6 months or 182 days, you will have to apply for an Aadhaar card when you reach India.

5. Can I file my tax returns without an Aadhaar card?

   Yes, you can file your tax returns without an Aadhaar card. But you should duly note that from July 1, 2017, the PAN which most of us posses will become invalid if your Aadhaar number has not been linked on the official website of the Department. Therefore, it is highly advisable that you apply for an Aadhaar Card immediately if you do not have one already.

6. What are the benefits that I am entitled to receive when I link my PAN and Aadhaar number?

   Once you have linked your Aadhaar number and your PAN, you will be eligible for the following benefits:

   • You can file your income tax returns
   • Your PAN will not become invalid
   • You can verify your tax returns online using the same card, provided your mobile number is registered with Aadhaar.
   • You can ensure the security of your e-filing account as well as change or reset the password to your account to prevent any malicious activity with your account by an unauthorized user
7. How long is the OTP sent by the Aadhaar database valid for?

   The Aadhaar OTP is valid for a total of 15 minutes from the time it was generated.

8. How can I change the mobile number that is registered with Aadhaar?

   You can get in touch with the UIDAI helpdesk by email at authsupport@uidai.gov.in or you can contact their toll-free number which is 1800-300-1947.

9. Can I de-link my Aadhaar number?

   No. There is no option that is available to de-link your Aadhaar number once it has been updated on the e-filing page.

10. How do I make changes to an Aadhaar Number that I have filed?

    You can get in touch with the UIDAI helpdesk by email at authsupport@uidai.gov.in or you can contact their toll-free number which is 1800-300-1947.

11. What should I do if my details as per my PAN card do not match with the ones mentioned on my Aadhaar card?

    If the details on your PAN card such as spelling of name, date of birth or gender do not match the ones on your Aadhaar card, you will have to submit an application with valid proof and get the details corrected. After this, you may apply to link your Aadhaar with your PAN card.

12. Do I have to submit any documentary proof to link my PAN and Aadhaar card?

    No, you are not required to submit any documents when linking your Aadhaar to your PAN card. You have to check if the PAN information mentioned on the website matches your Aadhaar card and then apply for them to be linked.

13. What are the details I have to check when linking my PAN with my Aadhaar card?

    When linking your PAN with your Aadhaar card, you have to make sure that your name, date of birth and gender as displayed on the income tax website matches with the details on your Aadhaar card.