Have you linked your PAN card with Aadhaar? Here’s how to avoid Rs 1,000 penalty

New Delhi: If you have an Aadhaar or a PAN card but have not yet linked them, this is the news for you. To avoid incurring a Rs 1,000 penalty to the government, you must link your PAN and Aadhaar by June 30. The Central Board of Direct Taxes, or CBDT, has extended the deadline for linking PAN-Aadhaar to March 31, 2023, but those who have failed to do so will be fined. A fine of Rs 500 is to be paid "if such intimation is provided within three months from the date referred to in sub-section," or by June 30, 2022. Following that, a Rs 1,000 fine is required to link Aadhaar and PAN.

“Every person who, in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (2) of section 139AA, is required to intimate his Aadhaar number to the prescribed authority in the prescribed form and manner, fails to do so by the date referred to in the said sub-section, shall, at the time of subsequent intimation of his Aadhaar number to the prescribed authority, be liable to pay, by way of fee, an amount equal to, — (a) five hundred rupees, in a case where such intimation is made within three months from the date referred to in sub-section (2) of section 139AA; and (b) one thousand rupees, in all other cases,” states the latest CBDT order.

According to the government directive, if you link your PAN Aadhaar promptly, you would have to pay a penalty of Rs 500, which is substantially smaller than the penalty if you miss the June 30 deadline. The income tax agency will charge you Rs 1,000 for linking your PAN and Aadhaar starting July 1. If you do not link your Aadhaar PAN by March 31, 2023, your PAN will become inactive, with serious repercussions.

To link your Aadhaar PAN online, follow these steps:

• Visit the official Income Tax e-filing website at www.incometax.gov.in.
• If you haven't already, create an account with your PAN as your user ID and set a password. Log in to the income tax portal using your login information.
• You will see a pop-up window emerge. If not, navigate to Profile Settings from the Menu Bar and pick the 'Link Aadhaar' option.
• A new window will appear. In the new screen, enter your PAN number, Aadhaar details, name, and mobile number in the areas provided.
• After validating the information, select the 'I agree to validate my Aadhaar details' option. Then click the 'Continue' button.
• A one-time password (OTP) will be sent to your registered mobile number. Fill in the blanks on the screen and press the 'Validate' button. After you have paid the penalty, your PAN-Aadhaar linkage will be completed.