The Modi government has made it mandatory for all financial institutions to link your PAN card with your bank account. It is also mandatory for them to link your Aadhaar card with your bank account. The government believes this will result in more transparency. However, the linking of these two cards will not be effective until the Supreme Court decides on the matter, as there are several petitions against doing so.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has recently announced that taxpayers who have not linked their PAN number to the policies they own will face a penalty. If you are one of those still waiting to link your PAN and Aadhaar, here is what you need to know.
Linking your PAN and Aadhaar can be done in just a few simple steps:
- First, create an online account with the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). You can do this by visiting their website or by downloading their app from the Play Store or App Store.
- Next, click on “Register Now” and enter the necessary information. In addition to your name, date of birth, email address, gender, and mobile
Linking Aadhaar to PAN
First you will need to make sure that your Aadhaar is linked with your PAN card. You can do this by following this link. Make sure you have your PAN number handy because you have to enter it when you submit the Aadhaar details. If you have forgotten your PAN number or lost it, then you will be provided with one.
If you have an Aadhaar card, then you have to then log into your Aadhaar website. Log into your Aadhaar card. On the right hand side you will find your Aadhaar. Enter this into the “Link Aadhaar” button and submit. The new link will be created on the page.
Now you will need to open the PAN card app and enter the details of your Aadhaar, only one Aadhaar per bank account. You can generate a fresh email id as well.
Linking Bank Account to Aadhaar
The Central Government has said that for opening a bank account, Aadhaar is required to link it with a PAN card.
Linking Aadhaar with LIC Policies
LIC has also made the linking of Aadhaar and bank account compulsory to open the policy or transfer it.
It is mandatory for both the Aadhaar number and PAN card of the subscriber to be linked with the LIC policies.
Before applying for a new policy, a customer can verify the existing policy. This will result in verification with the subscriber. You will be given provisional insurance for a period of one year. After which the subscriber will need to submit the Aadhaar card and PAN card details to the insurer.
You can check the status of your policy by calling up or visiting the respective branches of the company.
What is a PAN?
As we mentioned before, a PAN card is a 10 digit unique number issued by the government. It is used by individuals to file their tax returns and ensure the tax-disclosure rules are followed.
Not having a PAN card will not be a problem, as you can apply for one online, however the problem is that even if you get your PAN card from the registrar, the bank may not yet link your account to your PAN card.
Here’s how you can link your Aadhaar and PAN card:
1) You will have to go to the income tax department’s website, http://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/, and click on the ‘Link Aadhaar’ option.
2) Follow the instructions to submit the required documents
3) The registration process might take anywhere between 30 minutes and 3 days.
4) You will be able to do the same via offline.
What is a UID?
The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has a database of the numbers which represent the unique identity of the residents of India. It is a 12-digit number which is paired with the biometric details of a resident, such as their fingerprints and iris scan.
How to link your Aadhaar Card with PAN Card:
Firstly, you will have to visit an Aadhaar centre. You can go to the Aadhaar centre at the centre of your residence or you can visit the one nearest to your workplace.
You will have to have your PAN card handy and keep the PAN card with you. The Aadhaar centres accept paper forms of PAN card, but the Aadhaar centres will ask for a printout of your PAN card from your bank.
Why link Aadhaar and PAN?
The Income Tax Act lays down the rules for PAN (Permanent Account Number) and Aadhaar. The government has said that it does not want to apply different rules for Aadhaar and PAN cards.
However, there is a limit for the types of financial institutions which can link the two cards. Therefore, if you have a LIC policy, it is important to link Aadhaar with your LIC policy as the insurers are not able to identify your policy based on the address.
You need to link the two cards as per the relevant rules. This is important because the income tax department needs to be able to identify every policy holder for tax purposes.
LIC policies usually come with the Identity Proof (PAN Card) which can be used for linking. So, you need to have the card linked to your PAN card.
Linking bank account with Aadhaar
The PAN and Aadhaar linkage should be done only through the link of Aadhaar with your bank accounts. Linking a bank account with Aadhaar is essential, as the purpose of linking Aadhaar with PAN card is to make your PAN valid for a period of 5 years beyond the current date. If you have a bank account, then you must link your PAN card with the bank account. Also, while quoting Aadhaar, a copy of your PAN card should also be provided to your bank.
If your bank account is linked to Aadhaar, then you must submit your PAN card for an Aadhaar card, as an authentic copy will be needed.
If you don’t have a bank account and have a PAN card, then you should first link your bank account with Aadhaar, so that they can verify the PAN card.
Conclusion
Both these methods are useful and could save you some extra time. It is always advisable to contact your bank for more details. Banks are required to submit your bank details to the Income Tax Department on demand, if needed.
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