Aadhaar card, PAN card linking: Now, it is just an SMS away - Here is how it works

The Income Tax Department has extended the deadline to link Aadhaar Card with PAN Card from 31st March 2019 to 30th September 2019. This linking of Aadhaar Card and PAN Card is mandatory, failing which your Income Tax Return (ITR) will not be processed onwards and any banking transaction above Rs 50,000 won't be possible says Income Tax Department notification.

There are various means through which one can link his or her Aadhar Card with its PAN Card. One can log in to the Income Tax e-filing website https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/home to link one's Aadhaar Card with its PAN Card by downloading a form, filling the information needed and submitting it online. However, the process might be lengthy and it may happen that a person is unable to link his or her Aadhaar Card with PAN card by logging in to the Income Tax e-filing website. 

For those who are not so comfortable in internet use, they can do the same by just sending an SMS. There is a format for the SMS that one can send from his or her mobile number registered with the Aadhaar Card to either 567678 or 56161. the format of the SMS is 'UIDPAN<12 Digit Aadhaar> <10 Digit PAN>.' suppose somebody's Aadhaar Card number is 123456789012 and PAN card no. is ABCDE1234F, then the format of the SMS would be 'UIDPAN 123456789012 ABCDE1234F.'

For more details, here is step by step Aadhar Card, Pan Card linking through SMS: 

Step 1: Type UIDPAN 123456789012 ABCDE1234F;

Step 2: Send this message to 567678 or 56161 from the mobile number registered with your Aadhar Card;

Step 3: After sending the message, you will receive the receipt of this message through an SMS, and then

Step 4: After few days, you will receive the linking of the Aadhar Card with you Pan Card on the same mobile via SMS.