Is your Aadhaar and PAN not linked yet due to mismatched details? Well, you have still got some time to fix the issues as government’s final deadline of December 31, 2025 to link your Permanent Account Number (PAN) with Aadhaar is around the corner. If you fail to do so, your PAN risks becoming inoperative — a status that can significantly disrupt financial life, starting January 1, 2026.
The mandate was introduced by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) which targets taxpayers whose PAN was issued based on an Aadhaar Enrolment ID filed before October 1, 2024. These individuals must now formally update their Aadhaar number in the income-tax database before the year-end cut-off.
What happens if you fail to comply
An inoperative PAN isn’t just another bureaucratic label — it stops you from performing essential financial tasks:
- Filing income tax returns is blocked
- Tax refunds may be withheld
- KYC verifications for bank accounts, mutual funds, investments, insurance and loans can fail
- Not just this, rates of TDS/TCS can surge due to non-valid PAN status
Even routine transactions, such as using SIP auto-debit or crediting a salary, can be affected once PAN is inactive. Experts warn that processing of financial instructions may fail until the linking is complete.
What is the common block
A frequent stumbling block for taxpayers is mismatched personal information between Aadhaar and PAN — especially differences in name spelling, date of birth, or gender. Even a missing middle name can cause your linking request to fail.
How to avoid mismatched details
- You need to verify your Aadhaar and PAN details carefully before submitting a linking request.
- For this, you can update your Aadhaar information online — including name, address or date of birth — through the UIDAI portal.
- For PAN card, you can file a correction request through service providers such as Protean (NSDL) or UTIITSL, if any changes are required.
Here’s a step-by-step guide for you to link PAN and Aadhaar
You can complete the linking process via online and offline methods
Online Method
Visit the Income Tax e-Filing portal
Select “Link Aadhaar”
Enter your PAN and Aadhaar numbers
Confirm details and verify via OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile
Check linking status
You can confirm your linking status on the portal:
Aadhaar already linked
Linking request pending
Aadhaar not linked
Offline — SMS or Service Centres
SMS: Send UIDPAN <space> 12-digit Aadhaar <space> 10-digit PAN to shortcodes such as 567678 or 56161.
PAN Service Centres: Visit your nearest Protean (NSDL) or UTIITSL office with original documents and self-attested copies for assistance. A nominal fee may apply.
Once processed, you can check the status online — which will show as “Linked,” “Pending,” or “Not Linked.”
However, if you fail to link PAN and Aadhaar, there’s a penalty you will have to pay besides having an inactive PAN.
If you miss the deadline, your PAN will automatically become inoperative from January 1, 2026. To reactivate it, you must pay a Rs 1,000 penalty and complete the linking. This fee is processed via the Income Tax e-Pay facility on the Income Tax e-filing portal, and linking typically completes within days once the fine is cleared.
