Woodkirk Stone
The State Bank of India (SBI) has urged its customers to compulsorily link their Permanent Account Number (PAN) to Aadhaar cards in order to avoid any inconvenience and continue to enjoy transparent banking services.
SBI, the country’s largest bank, further warned its account holders that if the two documents are not linked, the PAN will be rendered inoperative / inactive and cannot be cited to perform specified transactions.
PAN-Aadhaar link
Last month, the Union government extended the deadline for linking the PAN to Aadhaar to September 30 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The deadline was set for March 31, but was later revised to June 30.
Read also | Government extends deadline for Aadhaar-PAN link: here’s how
What if PAN-Aadhaar weren’t related?
The PAN will become inactive and, to reactivate it, a late fee of ₹1,000 will have to be paid. A penalty of ₹10,000 may also be taxed on defaulters under Section 272B of the Income Tax Act.
How to link the PAN-Aadhaar card?
The two documents can be linked either by SMS or on the website of the Income Tax Department.
For the connection by SMS, type UIDPAN
To link through the website, go to revenutaxindiaefiling.gov.in and click on “Link Aadhaar” under the “Our Services” tab. Then enter details like PAN, Aadhaar number, Aadhaar name and cell phone number and click “Link Aadhaar”. The two documents will then be linked.
What are PAN and Aadhaar?
PAN is a 12-digit alphanumeric code assigned by the Income Tax Service. It is used for work related to finance. Aadhaar, on the other hand, is a 12-digit ‘unique identity’ number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). It is one of the most important identification documents for Indian nationals.