December is the last month of 2025. There are some important financial tasks whose deadlines will expire in December. Today is the 17th, so you have only 14 days left to complete them. Failure to complete these tasks on time could result in fines, penalties, and other problems. Here are two important tasks that must be completed before December 2nd.

Task 1: Filing a Belated Income Tax Return

If you haven't yet filed your income tax return for the financial year 2024-25, you have until December 31, 2025. You will be required to pay a late fee upon filing. Late fees will be charged as follows:

For income less than ₹5 lakh: ₹1,000
For income of ₹5 lakh or more: ₹5,000

There will be no opportunity to file your return after December 31st, so delaying this task can be costly.

What are the consequences of not filing your belated ITR on time?
If you fail to file your belated Income Tax Return (ITR) by December 31st, you will suffer the consequences:

You will not receive an income tax refund
If a refund is due on your return, the delay may result in a delay or even a complete loss.

You will have to pay additional interest along with the late fee
Failure to file your ITR on time may result in both penalties and interest under the Income Tax Act, increasing your tax burden.

Tax records may be damaged.
Continuous delays weaken your tax profile, which could impact future loans, visas, and financial planning.

The risk of receiving an Income Tax Notice increases.
The department keeps a close eye on those who fail to file their ITR on time, which increases the likelihood of receiving a notice.

Therefore, it is best not to postpone ITR-related work until the last minute and to file your return before the deadline to avoid any problems later.

Second Step: Linking Aadhaar and PAN is essential.
If you obtained your Aadhaar card on or before October 1, 2024, and have not yet linked it to your PAN, it is mandatory to do so by December 31, 2025. If Aadhaar and PAN are not linked, then:

The PAN card may become inactive.

Banking and investment-related work may be hindered.

Difficulties may arise in filing your ITR.

You can easily link your PAN by visiting the Income Tax e-filing portal and entering your PAN number, Aadhaar number, and OTP. A penalty will also be required for this.

How to link PAN and Aadhaar
To link PAN and Aadhaar, visit the Income Tax e-filing portal (incometax.gov.in).
Select 'Link Aadhaar' under 'Quick Links'.
Enter the details by verifying your PAN, Aadhaar number, and OTP using your mobile number, and pay any applicable fees through e-Pay Tax.
Your PAN will then be linked to Aadhaar.
You can do this by logging in from the profile section, or by sending an SMS (UIDPAN <12-digit Aadhaar> <10-digit PAN> to 567678) from your registered mobile number.

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