PAN and Aadhaar linking deadline ends on March 31; Step-by-step guide to complete process

Linking PAN and Aadhaar is now mandatory, according to the Income Tax Department. The PAN card will become inoperative, and people will not be able to file their income-tax returns or access PAN-related services if they fail to link their PAN with Aadhaar before March 31, 2023.

It is crucial to link the PAN and Aadhaar to avoid any inconvenience in the future.

PAN (Permanent Account Number) must be linked with Aadhaar by March 31, 2023, if they do not fall under the exempt category under the I-T Act. After April 1, 2023, unlinked PANs will be inactive, the Income Tax department said.

To check if your PAN and Aadhaar cards are linked or not, you can do this both via online or SMS. To link your PAN card with your Aadhaar card, you can follow the step-by-step guide provided below.

How to Link PAN and Aadhaar

1. First, visit the official website at https://eportal.incometax.gov.in/
2. If you haven't already, register your ID on the website.
3. Login to the portal using your User ID, password. Your PAN (Permanent Account Number) will be your user ID to log in.
4. To link, go to 'Profile Settings' on the Menu bar and click on 'Link Aadhaar' on the homepage.
5. If you have an Aadhaar card, you must enter your name and your PAN number.
6. Check the "I have only year of birth in Aadhaar card" box if applicable.
7. Enter the Captcha displayed on the screen and verify it.
8. Click on the "Link Aadhaar" button.
9. If the details entered by you match your PAN and Aadhaar records, click on the "link now" button.

Your PAN card will be successfully linked with your Aadhaar card.

After a successful linking process, a message will inform you that your Aadhaar has been successfully linked to your PAN Card.

Note: If the details in your Aadhaar card and PAN don't match, you will have to update your Aadhaar details to match your PAN records.