As the December 31, 2025 deadline draws near, the Income Tax Department has issued a final reminder to all PAN card holders in India to link their PAN with Aadhaar. Taxpayers who fail to complete this process are at risk of having their PAN cards become inoperative, which can disrupt financial and tax-related activities.
Linking PAN (Permanent Account Number) with Aadhaar is mandatory for most taxpayers under Indian tax rules. If your PAN is not linked by the deadline, you may not be able to file income tax returns, access refunds, or use the PAN for key financial services.
How to Check If Your PAN and Aadhaar Are Linked
You can verify the linking status online through the Income Tax Department’s e-filing portal:
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Visit the official e-filing portal and look for the “Link Aadhaar Status” option.
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Enter your PAN number and Aadhaar number.
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The portal will display whether your PAN is already linked or still pending.
You can also check the status by sending an SMS from your mobile:
Type UIDPAN <12-digit Aadhaar> <10-digit PAN> and send it to 567678 or 56161. This will let you know whether the two documents are linked.
What to Do If Your PAN Is Not Linked
If your PAN and Aadhaar are not linked:
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On the e-filing portal, use the “Link Aadhaar” option to submit a request.
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Ensure the details on both documents exactly match (name, date of birth, etc.), otherwise the link may fail.
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If there are mismatches, you can update Aadhaar details through the UIDAI website or correct PAN information via the PAN service portals (Protean eGov/NSDL or UTIITSL).
Once you submit a linking request, it will be validated by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). Pending requests may take a short time before showing as linked.
Penalty and Inoperative PAN Consequences
If you miss the December 31 deadline, your PAN may become inoperative from January 1, 2026. An inoperative PAN cannot be used for important tasks such as:
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Filing income tax returns
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Claiming tax refunds
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High-value financial transactions
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Mutual fund and investment account processing
There is also a late linking fee (penalty) of ₹1,000 for cases where PAN-Aadhaar linking is done after the deadline.
However, some taxpayers may be exempt from the penalty for example, those who received a new PAN based on an Aadhaar enrolment ID after October 1, 2024.
Final Reminder
With just a few days left before the year-end cutoff, taxpayers are urged not to wait. Verifying your PAN-Aadhaar link status and completing the process, if needed, will help you avoid penalties and ensure uninterrupted access to essential financial and tax services in 2026.