Linking PAN Card to Aadhaar: A Step-by-Step Guide and How to Check Existing Linking Status

The Indian government has made it mandatory for taxpayers to link their Permanent Account Number (PAN) with Aadhaar, the unique 12-digit identity number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). The deadline for linking PAN with Aadhaar has been extended several times, but as of now, it is March 31, 2023. Failure to link the two may result in a penalty.

Linking PAN with Aadhaar is a simple process that can be completed online. Here is a step-by-step guide to link PAN with Aadhaar:

1. Visit the official website of the Income Tax Department: https://www.incometax.gov.in/
2. Click on the ‘Link Aadhaar’ option under the ‘Quick Links’ section on the homepage.
3. Enter your PAN and Aadhaar numbers in the respective fields.
4. Ensure that your name and date of birth (DOB) as per Aadhaar matches that on your PAN. If there is any discrepancy, update the name or DOB on Aadhaar.
5. Enter the Captcha code displayed on the screen and click on ‘Link Aadhaar.’
6. Once you have submitted the form, a message confirming the linkage will be displayed on the screen.
7. You will also receive an OTP (one-time password) on your Aadhaar-linked mobile number. Enter the OTP and click on ‘Validate.’

That’s it! Your PAN will be linked with Aadhaar.

Now, let’s move on to checking the existing linking status.

How to Check Existing Linking Status:

1. Visit the official website of the Income Tax Department: https://www.incometax.gov.in/
2. Click on the ‘Link Aadhaar Status’ option under the ‘Quick Links’ section on the homepage.
3. Enter your PAN and Aadhaar numbers in the respective fields.
4. After the server checks the status, a pop-up message will be displayed. If Aadhaar and PAN are linked, the message will read: “Your PAN is already linked to given Aadhaar.”
5. If the two documents are not linked, following message will appear on the screen: “PAN not linked with Aadhaar. Please click on ‘Link Aadhaar’ to link your Aadhaar with PAN.”
6. In case the Aadhaar-PAN link is in progress, the taxpayer will see following message: “Your Aadhaar-PAN linking request has been sent to UIDAI for validation. Please check the status later by clicking on ‘Link Aadhaar Status’ link on Home Page.”

Alternatively, taxpayers can also check the status by logging into the Income Tax portal and completing the following steps:

1. Log in to your account on the Income Tax e-filing portal.
2. Visit the ‘Dashboard’ on the homepage and click the ‘Link Aadhaar Status’ option.
3. You can also go to ‘My Profile’ and click on the ‘Link Aadhaar Status’ option.
4. If Aadhaar is linked to your PAN, the Aadhaar number will be displayed. In case the two documents are not linked, ‘Link Aadhaar Status’ will be displayed.
5. The website will also ask you to check the status later if the request to link your Aadhaar with PAN card is pending with UIDAI.

Taxpayers can also check the status through SMS. Send SMS to 567678 or 56161. If Aadhaar is linked with PAN, following message