How to link PAN with Aadhaar and check the link status
The income tax department asks individuals who have a PAN and are eligible for Aadhaar to link the two (Section 139AA). You can check the link status on the e-filing portal without logging in. If your PAN is not linked, the portal's own help describes a fee to pay first and then a link request. You need your PAN, your Aadhaar number and a mobile number that can receive an OTP.
Check the link status
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Open the e-filing portal. Type
incometax.gov.ininto your browser yourself. Check the address ends in incometax.gov.in. - Choose Link Aadhaar Status. On the home page, under Quick Links, click Link Aadhaar Status. (After login: on the Dashboard, Link Aadhaar Status, or My Profile, then Link Aadhaar Status.)
- Enter your PAN and Aadhaar number and click View Link Aadhaar Status.
- Read the result. If the request is still pending with UIDAI, the portal's help says to check again later.
Link PAN with Aadhaar
The portal's help describes two parts: pay the fee, then submit the request.
- Start from Link Aadhaar. On the home page, under Quick Links, click Link Aadhaar. Enter your PAN and Aadhaar number and click Validate.
- If the portal says "Payments details not found", click Continue To Pay Through e-Pay Tax, enter your PAN (twice) and a mobile number, and type the OTP yourself. On e-Pay Tax, click Proceed on the Income Tax tile, choose the Assessment Year and Other Receipts (500) as the type of payment, then Continue. The portal fills in the amount; pay on your bank's site.
- Wait if you have just paid. The portal's help says to wait 4 to 5 working days after paying before you submit the request.
- Submit the request. When the portal says your payment details are verified, click Continue, fill in the details asked and click Link Aadhaar. Type the 6-digit OTP sent to your mobile number yourself and click Validate. A success message confirms the request was submitted.
If something goes wrong
- "Already linked" or "linked to another record" error. The portal's help says you must contact your Jurisdictional Assessing Officer (AO) to delink the incorrect link.
- Validation fails. The portal's help says to click Link Aadhaar on the status page and repeat the steps.
- Inoperative PAN. The Link Aadhaar FAQ says an inoperative PAN gets no refund and no interest on it for the affected period, and is charged higher TDS/TCS rates, until it is made operative. The FAQ states a fee of ₹1,000 for this. Pages on the portal still show different older dates, so check the live portal for what applies to your PAN.
- Still stuck. The portal lists 1800 103 0025 and 1800 419 0025 for e-filing queries (08:00 to 20:00, Monday to Friday).
Stay safe
- Never share the OTP with anyone, even someone who says they are from the income tax department or a bank.
- Use only the official site, ending in incometax.gov.in. Pay only through e-Pay Tax on that site and keep the challan.
- Ignore SMS or WhatsApp messages with "link now or your PAN will be blocked" links. Type the address yourself.
- Lookalike sites copy the official look, so check the address before you type anything.
Pocko is not part of the income tax department and this guide is not official. Screens change; if a step looks different, follow what the official site shows, or check the official site's help.
Sources
- Link Aadhaar User Manual (steps, payment pop-ups, errors, Link Aadhaar Status)
- Link Aadhaar FAQ (who must link, inoperative PAN, fee)
- Link Aadhaar help page (deadlines)
- Refund Status User Manual (helpline numbers)
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