Have you linked your PAN card with Aadhaar? Deadline ends today

Have you linked your Aadhaar with Permanent Account Number (PAN) card? If not, please do it immediately as the deadline to link the biometric ID will end today, i.e, March 31.

As per the Income Tax Department, it is mandatory for taxpayers to link their PAN with 12-digit biometric ID in order to file Income Tax returns (ITR) for the assessment year 2019-20.

If you fail to do so, there is a chance that your PAN will be deactivated. However, experts are divided on this issue. So far, there is no clarity on what will exactly happen to a taxpayer's PAN card if he or she fails to link it with Aadhaar before the deadline.

Also Read:PAN-Aadhaar linking: Here's why your PAN card will be useless if not linked with Aadhaar before March 31

Extending for the fifth time, the Income Tax department in last July had increased the deadline for individuals to link their PAN with Aadhaar till the above mentioned period. Earlier the deadline was June 30, 2018, which was later revised to March 31, 2019.

The I-T Department had posted a reminder tweet about the deadline on March 20.

Also Read: 9 key financial deadlines to keep in mind in 2019

How to link Aadhaar with PAN online

• Log on to the official websites of Income Tax Department, NSDL or UTIITSL
• Go to 'Linking Aadhaar'. Another window should open, prompting you to link your PAN card with Aadhaar card
• Confirm information such as name, date of birth and gender with the details on your Aadhaar card
• Submit Aadhaar card number and enter the captcha code
• Click on the 'Link Aadhaar'
• A success message should show once the linking process is completed

How to link Aadhaar with PAN via SMS

• Type UIDPAN in your phone's create message section
• Send the SMS to 567678 or 56161 using the mobile number registered with your Aadhaar card
• You will receive an OTP on the registered mobile number to complete the process
• Once done, visit Income Tax Department's e-filing website, www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in, to verify whether your Aadhaar and PAN have been linked or not.

Edited by Chitranjan Kumar