A Permanent Account Number or PAN is a 10-digit unique identification alphanumeric number to identify a taxpayer in India. All tax-related information of a person is regarded against this number which acts as a primary key to store the information. No two people can have the same number.
PAN cards can be allotted by quoting a valid Aadhaar number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). PAN applicants who have an Aadhaar number from UIDAI and have registered their mobile number with Aadhaar, can apply.
However, your Aadhaar authentication may get rejected if you have the incorrect phone number linked to your Aadhaar or key in the wrong OTP.
Taxpayers are required to link their PAN cards to the Aadhaar by 31 March 2021 to avoid the inactivity of their PAN, as per the Centre’s guidelines.
Here are the steps to link your PAN to Aadhaar by SMS and online:
PAN-Aadhaar Linking: Through SMS
- Send an SMS to either 567678 or 56161 from your registered mobile number.
- Follow the format: UIDPAN<12 digit Aadhaar><10 digit PAN> Example: UIDPAN 123456789189 AHSLM2124M
PAN-Aadhaar Linking: Online
- Visit the income tax official website – incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in.
- Click on the Aadhaar link option which you will find on the left side.
- Click on the link mentioning "Click Here".
- Enter your PAN, Aadhaar number, your name, and the given captcha.