The final month of 2025 is December and a number of financial activities with deadlines would need to be completed in December for those activities that you might have been working on during the year would now fall into the income tax deadlines. For today’s, which is the 17th of December, there are 14 days left to complete the tax filing requirements for the year. Failure to complete these tax activities on the designated time will subject the individual to fines, penalties, and a host of other issues. Within this writing, there are two significant activities that must be completed by December 31st of this year that need to be completed.
1. Submit any overdue income tax returns
If you missed the income tax return deadline in the financial year 2024-25 you can submit your return on or before December 31 2025 and incur a late fee when you submit your return. The late fee amounts are:
If your total income was less than ₹5,00,000 during the financial year above, you will incur a late charge of ₹1,000. If your total income was ₹5,00,000 or above for the financial year then you will incur a late charge of ₹5,000.
If you do not file your return by December 31st you will not have another opportunity. The cost of delaying filing could be significant.
What are the consequences of not filing a delayed ITR on time?
If you do not file your belated Income Tax Return (ITR) by December 31st, you will face the following consequences:
- Loss of Income Tax Refund
- If your return includes a refund, the delay may result in the money being withheld or even completely forfeited.
- Additional Interest and Late Fees
- Failure to file ITR on time can result in both penalties and interest under the Income Tax Act, increasing your tax burden.
- Negative Impact on Tax Record
- Consistent delays weaken your tax profile, potentially impacting future loans, visas, and financial planning.
- Increased Risk of Receiving Income Tax Notices
- The department keeps a close watch on those who do not file ITRs on time, increasing the likelihood of receiving notices.
- Therefore, it is best not to postpone ITR-related tasks until the last moment and to file your return before the deadline to avoid any problems later.
2. Aadhaar-PAN Linking – Mandatory
Aadhaar cards were required to be linked to your PAN by December 31, 2025 if the Aadhaar card was issued before October 1, 2024, however, if these links between the Aadhaar and PAN were not completed, the PAN may become inactive, banking and investing will become difficult and there may be challenges in filing the income tax return.
Linking PAN and Aadhaar is easy, through the Income Tax e-filing portal. So, as per the rules, fees may be charged.
Instructions to Link PAN with Aadhaar
- To link your PAN and Aadhaar, please go to the Income Tax E-filing site (incometax.gov.in)
- Under the heading of ‘Quick Links’, select ‘Link Aadhaar’.
- You must complete the form and provide the SSA with your PAN, Aadhaar number, mobile telephone for the OTP and pay the applicable amount through e-Pay Tax.
You may link your Aadhaar to your PAN through your profile account, or you may link the Aadhaar and PAN via SMS (UIDPAN) through your registered mobile telephone to 567678.