11.5 crore PAN cards deactivated due to non-linking with Aadhaar cards

November 9, 2023

Pune: According to a response to a Right to Information (RTI) request by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), a staggering 11.5 crore PAN cards were deactivated due to non-linking with Aadhaar cards before the prescribed deadline. It is worth noting that the deadline for linking PAN with Aadhaar lapsed on June 30 of this year.

In India, the number of PAN card holders is 70.24 crore, with 57.25 crore individuals having successfully linked their PAN cards with Aadhaar. According to the response received through the RTI, it has been revealed that there are over 12 crore PAN cards that remain unlinked with Aadhaar, out of which 11.5 crore cards have been deactivated.

The automatic linking of Aadhaar-PAN is carried out for new PAN card applicants during the application process. However, it is obligatory for existing PAN holders, who were assigned PAN on or before July 1, 2017, to link their PAN and Aadhaar. According to the RTI response, it is mandatory for individuals who possess a PAN as of July 1, 2017, to inform their Aadhaar number, as stated in sub-section (2) of Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act. Failure to complete this PAN-Aadhaar linking by the specified date renders the PAN card inactive, as mentioned in the RTI response.

Section 234H stipulates that individuals who fail to link their PAN with Aadhaar by the specified date will be subject to a fee. Additionally, the CBDT has imposed a penalty of ₹1,000 to reinstate the PAN card. Moreover, in a circular issued on March 30, 2022, the CBDT outlined the consequences of not linking PAN and Aadhaar by the notified date. Furthermore, it extended the deadline for linking PAN and Aadhaar to June 2023.