The deadline to link the Permanent Account Number (PAN) with the Aadhaar card has been extended till June 30, 2023, the finance ministry said in a release on March 28.
The extension came shortly before the current deadline was set to expire on March 31.
PAN cards which are not linked with Aadhaar will become inoperative from July 1, the finance ministry noted. The consequences will be that "no refund shall be made against such PANs", "interest shall not be payable on such refund for the period during which PAN remains inoperative", and "TDS and TCS shall be deducted at higher rate", the release stated.
The linking of PAN and Aadhaar can be completed by visiting the Income Tax department's portal, and paying a fee of Rs 1,000.
Also Read | How to link your PAN and Aadhaar card online in 10 simple steps
If the June 30 deadline is missed and the PAN becomes inoperative, it can be activated "again in 30 days", upon "intimation of Aadhaar to the prescribed authority after payment of fee of Rs 1,000," the finance ministry noted.
From 1st July, 2023, the unlinked PAN shall become inoperative with consequences. The PAN can be made operative again in 30 days, upon intimation of Aadhaar to the prescribed authority after payment of fee of Rs. 1,000. (2/2)Details in Press Release:https://t.co/N1IRieLgpT
— Income Tax India (@IncomeTaxIndia) March 28, 2023
As per the official data, more than 51 crore PANs have already been linked with Aadhaar till date.
Opposition leaders had, last week, requested the government to extend the March 31-deadline and waive the charge of Rs 1,000 currently levied on linking PAN with Aadhaar.
"This is a nightmare and hazardous to a maximum number of Indian citizens and not complying with this order would bring extreme misery to most of them," Congress' Lok Sabha leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 21.
"I earnestly request you to instruct the Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue to empower all local and sub post offices to help people to get their pan card linked with Aadhar card free of cost as well as extend the deadline by six months," Chowdhury had said.
