Non-linking of PAN-Aadhaar will attract Rs 500 fine after March 31

New Delhi [India], March 30 : If an individual fails to link Permanent Account Number (PAN) with Aadhaar by March 31, 2022, then he/she will have to pay a penalty of Rs 500. After three months this penalty will be increased to Rs 1000, as per a notification issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
In order to mitigate the inconvenience to the taxpayers, as per Notification No.17/2022 dated 29th March, 2022, a window of opportunity has been provided to the taxpayers upto 31st of March, 2023 to intimate their Aadhaar to the prescribed authority for Aadhaar-PAN linking without facing repercussions. As a result, taxpayers will be required to pay a fee of Rs 500 up to three months from 1st April, 2022 and a fee of Rs 1000 after that, while intimating their Aadhaar, the Finance Ministry said in a statement.
Under the provisions of the Income-tax Act, 1961, every person who has been allotted a PAN as on 1st July, 2017 and is eligible to obtain Aadhaar Number, is required to intimate his Aadhaar to the prescribed authority on or before 31st March, 2022. On failure to do so, his PAN shall become inoperative and all procedures in which PAN is required shall be halted. The PAN can be made operative again upon intimation of Aadhaar to the prescribed authority after payment of a prescribed fee.
However, till 31st March, 2023 the PAN of the assessees who have not intimated their Aadhaar, will continue to be functional for the procedures under the Act, like furnishing of return of income, processing of refunds etc, the Finance Ministry said.
"After 31st March, 2023, the PAN of taxpayers who fail to intimate their Aadhaar, as required, shall become inoperative and all the consequences under the Act for not furnishing, intimating or quoting the PAN shall apply to such taxpayers," the ministry said in a statement.