After the deadline of December 31, 2025, we have now entered the year 2026. Has your PAN card not been linked with Aadhaar card yet? If the answer is ‘no’, then there is bad news for you and a solution. Due to not linking within the stipulated time, your PAN card has now become “inoperative” or “inoperative” as per the rules of the Income Tax Department. But don’t worry, you can still reactivate this card by paying a certain penalty.
In today’s report, we will discuss how you can link your useless PAN card with Aadhaar in 2026, how much penalty you have to pay and what is the complete procedure.
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What problems will you face if your PAN card is inactive?
If your PAN card is currently inactive, you may face several financial difficulties. According to the Income Tax Department rules:
- Higher TDS: TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) will be deducted on your income at a much higher rate than normal until your PAN card is activated.
- No refund: If you are due any income tax refund while your PAN card is inactive, it will not be issued.
- Obstacles in financial transactions: You may face problems as PAN card is mandatory for banking or other major financial transactions.
Method of linking PAN-Aadhaar with a penalty
Even though the deadline has passed, you can still link PAN and Aadhaar by paying a late fee or penalty of Rs 1,000 as per Section 234H of the Income Tax Act. This process is basically completed in two steps.
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Step 1: Payment of Penalty
Before directly linking, you have to deposit the penalty money on the government portal.
1. First, go to the Income Tax Department’s e-filing portal incometax.gov.in and select the ‘e-Pay Tax’ option.
2. Complete the OTP verification with your PAN number and mobile number.
3. Select 2026-27 as the Assessment Year for payment. This is very important.
4. Select ‘Other Receipts (500)’ as the Type of Payment.
5. Select ‘Fee for delay in linking PAN with Aadhaar’ as the Sub-type.
6. Then pay Rs 1,000 using UPI, net banking or debit card.
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Step 2: Submit Linking Request
The work is not over just by depositing the money. After making the payment, it may take 4 to 5 working days for it to be updated in the Income Tax Department’s system. Then follow the below procedure:
1. After 4-5 days, go to the Income Tax portal again and click on the ‘Link Aadhaar’ option.
2. Enter your PAN and Aadhaar number. If the system shows “Your payment details are verified”, then click on the ‘Continue’ button.
3. Enter your name and mobile number as per Aadhaar.
4. Finally, click on ‘Link Aadhaar’ to complete the process.
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How long will it take for the PAN card to become operational?
Your PAN card may not become operational immediately after successfully submitting the linking request. According to the Income Tax Department, it may take up to 30 days for the PAN card to become “Operational” again.
Caution: If your name, date of birth or gender do not match exactly in the PAN and Aadhaar card, the linking may fail. In that case, you will have to first correct the incorrect information in one of the documents and then apply for linking.