PAN card, Aadhaar card linking deadline approaching. How to check status online

All PAN cards which are not linked to Aadhaar cards will become inoperative or invalid from January as the income tax department has made it mandatory to link the two identity documents with each other. The linking deadline has been extended till December 31. After the last date i.e. January 1, all such Permanent Account Numbers (PAN) not linked to any Aadhaar cards will be of no use.

Without completing the linkage process you will not only be barred from filing income tax returns (ITR) but will also unable to use your PAN card anywhere else. It is better to complete the linking as soon as possible online through the income tax department's e-filing portal by giving your PAN, Aadhaar numbers and completing the authentication process using an OTP sent to your mobile phone.

In case you are not sure whether you have linked your PAN with Aadhaar or want to make sure that the process is complete, then you can check the status online. Here is how.

1) Go to the income tax department's e-filing portal and click on “Link Aadhaar" under the "Quick Links" section on the left hand side.

2) On top of the new page, click on "Click here" option blinking in red and blue.

3) On the next page, you will be asked to enter Aadhaar number and PAN number.

4) Enter Aadhaar number and PAN and the portal will throw up the linking status. You can also use the facility to check whether the PAN-Aadhaar linking process is complete or not.