The government has made it compulsory to link your Aadhaar with many financial services availed by you. Here are all the Aadhaar-linking deadlines you can’t miss.
Many aspects of our lives are now linked to Aadhaar. There’s no escaping it. The government has made it compulsory to link your Aadhaar with many financial services availed by you. Your PAN, bank accounts, investments, insurance policies, PPF, and even your NSC need to be linked. The idea behind compulsory linking of Aadhaar is to curb tax evasion, de-dupe PAN accounts, increase the taxpayer base, and authenticate financial transactions.
The government has set deadlines for linking Aadhaar with different services. Let’s find out which the services you need to Aadhaar-link are—and what the repercussions will be if you don’t.
Linking Aadhaar with PAN Card – March 31, 2018
The earlier deadline for linking Aadhaar with your PAN was December 31, 2017. But after a recent hearing of a petition in the Supreme Court of India, the Government of India informed the Court that it will extend the deadline to March 31, 2018. Many people found it difficult to link their Aadhaar and PAN due to data mismatch in their name or date of birth. In the absence of the Aadhaar-PAN link, you won’t be able to file your income tax returns. With the deadline extension, you now have ample time to make the link—because this time, the government will not blink.
Linking Bank Account with Aadhaar – December 31, 2017
The last date to link your bank accounts with Aadhaar is December 31 this year. So if you have not yet done it, do not wait until the last minute, when the banks will be inundated with service requests. You can visit your nearest bank branch with your Aadhaar details. The smarter way to do it is via your netbanking or mobile banking platform.
Last date to link your mobile number – February 6, 2018
The last date to link your mobile number with Aadhaar is February 6, 2018. Beware of unscrupulous phone calls and SMS which claim to do your Aadhaar linking. You can formally make the link by visiting your service provider’s nearest office. It is expected that many telcos will provide the linking facility via SMS OTP by January 1, 2018. If you do not make the link, your number may get deactivated.
Last Date To Link Mutual Funds – December 31, 2017
You must link your mutual fund accounts by December 31 or those accounts would be inoperable. Your SIPs will cease to operate without the linking. You can link your Aadhaar to all your mutual fund schemes through facilities provided by CAMS, or by visiting your mutual fund branch.
Last Date To Link Insurance Policies – December 31, 2017
Your insurance policies may become inaccessible without the Aadhaar link. You can create the link by visiting the branch office, or by logging on to the online service portal. At the moment, not all insurers offer online linking.
Last Date To Link Small Savings Accounts – December 31, 2017
Aadhaar must be linked with small saving or postal schemes like Public Provident Fund, Kisan Vikas Patra, Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme, and National Savings Certificates. Failing to link would cause the accounts to be blocked after the deadline. It is now also mandatory to provide Aadhaar for new investments. The linking can be done by sharing the Aadhaar details with the concerned bank or post office where the accounts are opened.
Last Date To Link Demat Account – December 31, 2017
This, too, can be done online in a couple of minutes or by visiting the branch office of your demat services provider.
Last Date To Link Credit Card – December 31, 2017
Your credit card account can be linked online, by email, or via mobile banking. To fix any mismatches, you may need to visit the branch.
Other Services – December 31, 2017
Other services for which the Aadhaar linking deadline is December 31 include EPF, government scholarship programmes, and social security schemes.
Finally
The Aadhaar linking list may get longer in the near future. According to media reports, the government is also planning to link Aadhaar with driving licenses and new vehicle registrations. It is already compulsory to quote a deceased person’s Aadhaar number to get their death certificate.
There’s no getting away from these deadlines. You can proactively make the links now and avoid the last-minute rush at the end of the year when the service providers will be inundated with new requests.
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