Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Dec 23: The final deadline to link PAN with Aadhaar is December 31, 2025, failing which PAN cards that remain unlinked will be declared inoperative from January 1, 2026, the Income Tax Department has announced.
According to Notification No. 26/2025, issued on April 3, 2025, individuals who were allotted PAN using an Aadhaar Enrolment ID before October 1, 2024, must complete the linkage using their permanent Aadhaar number by the end of 2025.
PAN cards not linked within the stipulated timeline will become inactive and cannot be used for filing income tax returns, claiming refunds, opening bank accounts, or carrying out high-value financial transactions, an Economic Times report said.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has warned that non-compliance will attract higher TDS rates and withholding of income tax refunds from January 1, 2026.
A fee of Rs 1,000 is applicable in cases where PAN was issued before July 1, 2017 and has not been linked earlier. Taxpayers must ensure they have a valid PAN, Aadhaar number, and a registered mobile number to receive OTPs.
How to Link PAN with Aadhaar: Step-by-Step Guide
1. Visit the Income Tax e-Filing portal: www.incometax.gov.in
2. Click on ‘Link Aadhaar’ under the Quick Links section.
3. Enter your PAN and Aadhaar details.
4. Choose ‘e-Pay Tax’ to pay the mandatory fee.
5. Re-enter PAN, verify mobile number via OTP, and select Income Tax as the payment option.
6. Select the assessment year and choose ‘Other Receipts (500)’ as the payment category.
7. The Rs 1,000 fee will be auto-filled. Pay using net banking, debit card, or UPI.
8. Payment confirmation may take four to five working days to reflect.
9. After confirmation, revisit the Link Aadhaar section and validate PAN–Aadhaar details.
10. Enter your name as per Aadhaar, confirm Aadhaar validation, and specify if only the year of birth is mentioned on the Aadhaar card.
11. Complete the process by entering the six-digit OTP sent to your registered mobile number.
How to Check PAN–Aadhaar Linking Status
Taxpayers can check the status without logging in by clicking on ‘Link Aadhaar Status’ under Quick Links on the e-Filing portal.
• A green tick indicates successful linkage
• Pending cases will display a message stating the request has been sent to UIDAI for verification
The Income Tax Department has advised taxpayers to complete the process well before the deadline to avoid last-minute issues and financial inconvenience.