Rs 600 Crore Penalty Collected by Government for Delay in PAN-Aadhaar Linking; Over 11 Crore PANs Yet to be Linked

The government has pocketed a hefty Rs 600 crore in penalties due to delays in PAN-Aadhaar linking. According to Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, as of January 29, 2024, a staggering 11.48 crore PANs remain unlinked with Aadhaar. Addressing queries on earnings from late penalties, Chaudhary revealed that between July 1, 2023, and January 31, 2024, a total of Rs 601.97 crore was collected in fees from individuals who missed the June 30, 2023 deadline to link their PAN with Aadhaar. 

The Income Tax department had cautioned that PANs not linked by July 1, 2023, would become inoperative, resulting in higher TDS and TCS deductions. Restoring the functionality of PANs requires the payment of a late fee of Rs 1,000. The last date for linking PAN with biometric Aadhaar was June 30, 2023. If an individual fails to link their Aadhaar and PAN by June 30, 2023 and wishes to link it at a later date, then they can do so after payment of penalty.

Here's How to check the status of PAN-Aadhaar linking

1. Open the official Income Tax e-filing portal i.e. www.incometax.gov.in/iec/foportal/

2. On the left-hand side, Click on ‘Link Aadhaar Status’ on the homepage. 

3. Now enter your PAN number and Aadhaar number. 

4. Then click on 'View Link Aadhaar Status'