PAN-Aadhaar linking deadline Dec 31; everything you need to know

The Income tax department, in a pubic message, has said that it is mandatory to link your PAN card with your Aadhaar by December 31, 2019. The I-T department in a statement said, "Building a better tomorrow! To reap seamless benefits of income tax services, complete the vital link before 31st December, 2019".

Section 139 AA (2) of the Income Tax Act says that every person having PAN as on July 1, 2017, and is eligible to obtain Aadhaar, must intimate his Aadhaar number to tax authorities.

If anyone fails to link their Aadhaar with PAN then their PAN card will become inoperative, which will create difficulties in filing I-T returns.

Here's how to link your PAN card with your Aadhaar card:

Step 1: Visit the Income Tax Department e-filing portal - incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in

Step 2: Go to 'Link Aadhaar' option on the left side of the homepage

Step 3: Enter your PAN and Aadhaar number and your name as per AADHAAR

Step 4: Mark 'I have the only year of birth in Aadhar card,' if you have only the birth year on the Aadhaar

Step 5: Mark 'I agree to validate my Aadhar details with UIDAI,' if you agree to do so

Step 6: Enter the captcha code on your screen

Step 7: Click on 'Link Aadhaar' option to request linking of PAN and Aadhaar

You can also check the status of the PAN-Aadhaar linking on the Income Tax Department's website.

There is a possibility of linking failure between PAN-Aadhaar card in the following cases:

1. Mismatch in the spelling and placing of the middle and last name can cause linking failure in PAN or Aadhaar card.

2. If there is a discrepancy in the date of birth

3. In case of a gender mismatch

An Aadhaar-Pan mismatch will need to be rectified immediately in case of any such discrepancies listed above. For changes over details on the Aadhaar card, Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will have to be approached. Similarly, UTI Infrastructure Technology and Services Ltd. will have to be approached in case of a mistake in the PAN card.

Post a request for correction, it is likely to take a week for the respective agencies to get the rectification done and send across the new cards to you.

Aadhaar is issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to a resident of India and PAN is a 10-digit alphanumeric number allotted by the I-T Department to a person, firm or entity.

Also read: Mandatory to link PAN-Aadhaar by 31 December: Income Tax Department

Also read: PAN-Aadhaar linking date extended to December 31; here's how to link them