The Government has made it mandatory for everyone to link their existing Aadhaar numbers with PAN cards. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has issued a distinct 12-digit identification number Aadhaar to residents of India. From receiving pensions and subsidies to applying for mobile connections passports and bank accounts Aadhaar serves as a single identity that can be verified reducing paperwork and preventing duplication Meanwhile PAN is a 10-digit alphanumeric number issued in the form of a laminated “PAN card” by the Indian Income Tax Department to individuals and entities. The government has set December 31 2025 as the final date to link PAN and Aadhaar cards. Failure to do so results in the inoperativeness of the person’s PAN card; thus the individual will not be able to file their Income Tax Returns or other tax-related activities until they have met the above requirement. In order to track all financial activity associated with an individual the PAN number is assigned as a unique 10-digit identification code to assist with this purpose. According to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) those individuals who possess an Aadhaar card obtained on or before October 1 2025 will have to link it to their respective PAN cards before December 31 2025. If an individual fails to link their Aadhaar and PAN cards then all services will be suspended through the Income Tax Department on that PAN. If an individual has an inactive PAN he/she will not be allowed to submit their Income Tax Return (ITR). An individual will not be able to file a tax return and any pending tax returns will not be processed nor will any tax refunds regardless of the amount be issued to the individual. If there were any issues with the processing of a person’s defective return it would be halted. Furthermore due to the invalidation of their PAN any Tax Deduction at Source (TDS) or Tax Collection at Source (TCS) would likely be deducted at increased rates as per the Money Control Hindi report. How to Link PAN with Aadhaar. People who dont have an account or dont want to go through the hassle of logging into the Income Tax e-filing website can use this method. Open the Website. Start by going to the official Income Tax Departments website (www.incometax.gov.in). Select Link Aadhaar. On the homepage look for the Quick Links option at the bottom right side and select the Link Aadhaar link. Enter Your Information Aadhaar no. PAN no. Aadhaar Name Check the box “I consent to validate my Aadhaar Information” before clicking on the “Validate” button. Penalty Payment (if Applicable). If linking is done post the deadline then a penalty fee of Rs 1000 is necessary. You will receive directions on how to process payment. Making the Penalty Payment (If Required): When youre making a penalty payment please complete the following steps:- Sign into e-Pay Tax choose “AY 2025/26” as well as “Other Receipts (500) – “Fee for Delay in Linking PAN with Aadhaar” and continue to make your payment. Complete the Payment. Once your payment has gone through you will receive a Challan which will serve as confirmation. Linking Request Submission: Once you have submitted your Linking Request revisit the Link Aadhaar page and complete the following: Enter your PAN Aadhaar and mobile number again in order to receive an SMS containing an OTP sent to the Aadhaar-linked mobile number. Once you have received the OTP enter it in order to finalise the linkage of these two accounts. How to LINK PAN WITH AADHAAR VIA e-FILING PORTAL Step 1: Go to Income Tax e-filing portal – https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/ Step 2: Register on the website. Your PAN number will be your ‘User ID’. Step 3: Log in by entering the User ID password and date of birth. Step 4: Now a pop-up window will appear prompting you to link your PAN with Aadhaar. Step 5: If the window does not appear go to ‘Profile Settings’ on the Menu bar and click on ‘Link Aadhaar’. Step 6: Some blanks will already be filled such as name date of birth and gender as per the PAN details. Step 7: Verify the PAN details on the screen with the ones mentioned on your Aadhaar. Step 8: If the details match enter your Aadhaar number and click on the “Link now” button. Step 9: A pop-up message will inform you that your Aadhaar has been successfully linked to your PAN. This article describes how to quickly check whether a PAN has been linked to an Aadhaar. You can do this by taking these 4 steps: 1. Visit the Income Tax Department website www.incometax.gov.in 2. Locate the Quick Links section and click on Link Aadhaar Status. 3. Fill in your PAN and Aadhaar numbers on the following page that appears. 4. Click the button labelled View Link Aadhaar Status. You will then receive one of the three messages regarding your linking status: Linked — Your PAN is already linked to your Aadhaar; Not Linked — Your PAN is not currently linked to your Aadhaar and you need to take steps to link them; or Pending — Your request for linking is still being processed by UIDAI (the Unique Identification Authority of India).