PAN deactivation update: We all know about the significance that Permanent Account Number brings to our day-to-day financial transactions. From filing tax returns to opening a Bank account and doing high-value transactions the PAN card brings immense value to our financial needs. Now imagine turning up to file taxes or open a bank account. Imagine being being told that your PAN card has been deactivated because it was not linked to your Aadhaar. This may be happen if you have still not linked your Aadhar with your PAN card. Why you need to link PAN? If you miss the December 31 2025 deadline of linking PAN with Aadhaar your PAN card will be deactivated from January 1 2026. Therefore don’t let a small step mistake up big financial plans and link your PAN card with Aadhar as soon as possible. How you can link PAN with Aadhar: Step-by-step process 1. Visit the Income Tax e-filing portal: [https://www.incometax.gov.in/iec/foportal/](https://www.incometax.gov.in/iec/foportal/). 2. Click “Link Aadhaar” (bottom left on the homepage). 3. Enter your 10-digit PAN and 12-digit Aadhaar numbers in the fields shown. 4. Follow on-screen instructions and complete the required payment of Rs 1000. 5. Submit the request- the portal will accept it and process the linking. Aadhar-PAN link: How to check link status (online) 1. On the same portal select “Link Aadhaar Status”. 2. Enter your PAN and Aadhaar numbers. 3. View whether the two are linked. Aadhar-PAN link: How to check link through SMS 1. Draft: `UIDPAN <12-digit Aadhaar> <10-digit PAN>`. 2. Send to 567678 or 56161. 3. You’ll receive a reply confirming the status. Readers should note that that they should ensure that the mobile number used for OTP is the one registered with your Aadhaar - without it the online process won’t complete. Therefore we are reminding you again that you must link your PAN with Aadhar (if have havent yet) before December 31 2025 to avoid PAN deactivation on January 1 2026.