If you haven’t yet linked your PAN card with Aadhaar, it’s time to act quickly. The Income Tax Department has announced that PAN cards not linked by December 31, 2025, will be deactivated from January 1, 2026.
Once your PAN becomes inactive, you won’t be able to file Income Tax Returns (ITR), claim refunds, or even receive your salary in bank accounts. Investments such as SIP, mutual funds, and financial schemes may also face interruptions. According to CA Sarvagya Jain (Indore), linking Aadhaar with PAN in time can help avoid many future complications.
Who Needs to Link PAN and Aadhaar?
Individuals who applied for PAN using an Aadhaar enrolment ID before October 1, 2024, are required to complete the linking process by December 31, 2025, without fail — even if they used their Aadhaar enrolment ID for PAN application.
Step-by-Step Process to Link PAN with Aadhaar:
Visit the official Income Tax website.
Click on the Aadhaar Link option under the quick links section.
Enter your PAN and Aadhaar number, then click Validate.
You’ll be redirected to the NSDL website for payment.
Proceed under CHALLAN NO./ITNS 280.
Select (0021) Income Tax (Other than Companies) under “Tax Applicable.”
Choose (500) Other Receipts as the payment type.
Choose your payment method — Net Banking or Debit Card.
Enter your PAN, address, and captcha code, then proceed.
After verifying details, tick on I Agree and submit to the bank.
Pay a fee of ₹1,000 under “Others.”
Once the payment is complete, download and save the PDF receipt.
The payment update may take 4–5 working days.
After Payment – Final Linking Process:
After 4–5 days, revisit the Income Tax website and click on “Link Aadhaar.”
Enter your PAN and Aadhaar number again and click Validate.
If your payment is updated, click Continue.
Enter your name and mobile number as per Aadhaar.
Tick I Agree and proceed.
Enter the OTP received on your mobile and click Validate.
You’ll see a pop-up message stating that your Aadhaar-PAN linking request has been sent to UIDAI for validation.
After validation, your PAN and Aadhaar will be successfully linked.
You can check the linking status anytime on the Income Tax website.
