PAN-Aadhaar Linking Penalty : Failure to link PAN with Aadhaar will render the PAN inoperative from January 1, 2026, disrupting tax return filing, bank account opening, and other financial services. Citizens can link PAN with Aadhaar from the comfort of their homes through the e-filing website or SMS.
The government has clarified to all citizens that linking their PAN and Aadhaar cards is now mandatory. Unlinking these two documents may render the PAN inoperative from January 1, 2026. Citizens who fail to link before this deadline may face difficulties filing tax returns, opening bank accounts, and accessing other essential financial services.
What can get stuck if PAN is inactive?
If the PAN card is not linked to Aadhaar and is declared inactive, many important everyday financial tasks will be affected. According to the Income Tax Department and UIDAI, in this situation, people will be unable to file their tax returns or claim tax refunds. Furthermore, opening a new bank account, obtaining a debit or credit card, conducting investment transactions, and using other financial services will also become difficult.
Easy ways to link PAN-Aadhaar sitting at home
A simple and quick way is to link your PAN and Aadhaar from your mobile or laptop. First, go to the official Income Tax e-filing website and select the “Link Aadhaar” option. Then, enter your PAN, Aadhaar number, and name as per your Aadhaar, confirm your date of birth, and confirm the linking via OTP verification. If you don’t want to log in, you can link by simply entering your PAN and Aadhaar numbers. Linking is also possible via SMS by typing “UIDPAN” and sending it to 567678 or 56161.
In case of any technical issues, you can manually link your PAN by visiting an authorized PAN service center of NSDL or UTIITSL. Keep in mind that if the deadline is missed and your PAN becomes inactive, a penalty of Rs 1,000 is required to reactivate it, and the PAN-Aadhaar linking request may take 7 to 30 days. This strict deadline by the government is an important step towards protecting citizens from disruption in financial transactions and strengthening digital records.