The Centre has extended the deadline for linking Aadhaar with PAN by six more months, till March 2022, from earlier deadline of September 30, 2021.
Accordingly, the decision came as a relief measure for tax players during pandemic era.
"The Central Government, in continuation of its commitment to address the hardship being faced by various stakeholders on account of the Covid-19 pandemic, has, on consideration of representations received from various stakeholders, decided to extend timelines for compliances under the Income-tax Act, 1961," CBDT said in a statement late on Friday night.
"Time limit for intimation of Aadhaar number to the Income tax Department for linking of PAN with Aadhaar has been extended from 30th September, 2021 to 31st March, 2022."
Besides, the due date for completion of penalty proceedings under the IT Act has also been extended from September 30, 2021 to March 31, 2022.
"Further, the time limit for issuance of notice and passing of order by the 'Adjudicating Authority under the Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988' has also been extended to 31st March, 2022."
Here's What All You Need To Know:
If failed to link PAN-Aadhaar card:
If you fail to link PAN card with Aadhaar card before March 31, 2020, then the income tax department would charge Rs 10,000 fine and would suspend the PAN card as inoperative.
It must be noted that if the PAN becomes inoperative, it will be deemed that the PAN was not furnished or intimated wherever required. In such a case, the income tax department will mete out all the consequences of non-furnishing of PAN to the individual.
In the non-income tax filing scenario, people who fail to link PAN card with Aadhaar would be able to use it as ID proof for non-tax purposes like opening a bank account or for a driving licence.
However, they may face trouble in several financial transactions like banking transactions, buying or selling of a property, investments in stocks and mutual funds.
The date for linking PAN card with Aadhaar card had been extended several times in the past. The last due date for the link was on 30th September, 2021 which has been extended to March 31, 2022 now.
Step-byStep to link PAN with Aadhaar Card
According to Section 139AA that was inserted into the Income Tax Act vide Finance Act 2017, every person who had been allotted PAN and has received the Aadhaar number or Aadhar enrollment ID, must intimate the number to the tax authorities by linking PAN and Aadhaar.
Failing to link Aadhaar number with the PAN card for the purpose of filing income tax return would lead to the PAN being inoperative.
To link your PAN card with your Aadhaar card online, visit the website — https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/home
Step 1: Open the Income Tax e-filing portal (www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in) and log in to your account (if you already have an a/c or create one).
Step 2: Select 'Profile Settings' and click on 'Link Aadhaar'
Step 3: Type your 12-digit 'Aadhaar Number' in the box and select 'Link Aadhaar'.
A pop-up message will appear saying "Aadhaar-PAN linking is completed successfully".
How to link PAN-Aadhaar via SMS:
The Income Tax Department also provides an SMS-based facility to enable the linking.
Send an SMS to either 567678 or 56161 from your registered mobile number in the following order:
UIDPAN
In case you are not sure whether you have linked your PAN and Aadhaar, you can open Link Aadhaar Status page on the I-T website to check. Put in your PAN and Aadhaar number to check.
The CBDT frames policy for the Income Tax Department. The SC, in September 2018, had declared the Centre's flagship Aadhaar scheme as constitutionally valid and held the biometric ID would remain mandatory for the filing of I-T returns and allotment of PAN.
Aadhaar or Unique Identity Number, a 12-digit number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), is one of the most important documents of personal identification in India whereas PAN is a 10-character alphanumeric number issued by the Income Tax Department to a person, firm or entity.
