New Delhi. In India, the Income Tax Department has made it mandatory for all taxpayers to link PAN and Aadhaar. If both the documents are not linked, your PAN may be considered “inactive”, which may halt financial transactions, tax refunds, bank account verification and investment work. Many people want to know whether their PAN-Aadhaar is linked or not, but it seems cumbersome to go to the website every time and check.

Check by sending SMS
Now the government has introduced a very easy way to check PAN-Aadhaar link status through SMS. This means that now you do not need internet or website, just by sending a short message you can find out whether your PAN and Aadhaar are linked or not. This method is especially useful for rural areas or areas with low internet access. Let us know how you can know your PAN-Aadhaar link status in minutes by sending a simple SMS, and what to do if the link is not available.

How to check PAN-Aadhaar link status through SMS
Now you can know the PAN-Aadhaar link status without opening the website or using the internet, just by sending an SMS. For this, follow the steps given below: Know the step-by-step process in the next slide:

Step 1:
Open your mobile phone’s SMS app. Now type a new message in this format UIDPAN <12 digit Aadhaar number> <10 digit PAN number> Example: UIDPAN 123456789012 ABCDE1234F

Step 2:
Send this message to number 567678 or 56161. Within a few seconds, you will get an SMS reply from the Income Tax Department stating whether your PAN and Aadhaar are “Linked” or “Not Linked”. If your PAN-Aadhaar has been linked, you will get: “Your PAN is already linked with Aadhaar .” If not linked, you will get the message: “Your PAN is not linked with Aadhaar .”

What to do if PAN and Aadhaar are not linked?
If you find out through SMS that your PAN and Aadhaar are not linked, then there is no need to panic. You can link it in any of the following ways: Method 1: Go to the online website. Open “Link Aadhaar” section. Enter PAN, Aadhaar number and mobile number. Verify through OTP and complete the linking process.

Method 2:
Link via SMS. You can also link PAN-Aadhaar through SMS. The format will remain the same: UIDPAN <12-digit Aadhaar> <10-digit PAN> and send it to 567678 or 56161.

What harm can happen if PAN-Aadhaar is not linked?
Your PAN number will become inactive. You will not be able to file ITR (Income Tax Return). Financial transactions like banks and mutual funds may come to a halt. Your credit score may be affected. There may be problems in government subsidies and PF services. Therefore, it is important that you check the linking status as soon as possible and link it immediately if necessary.