PAN Card Status: Today, the PAN card has become an essential document for every Indian. It’s required everywhere, from opening a bank account to filing income tax returns. However, if your PAN card isn’t linked to Aadhaar, it could cause significant problems in 2026. The government has made it clear that PAN cards will no longer be valid without Aadhaar linking.
Aadhaar-PAN card linking mandatory
According to Income Tax Department regulations, linking your PAN with Aadhaar was mandatory by December 31, 2025. After this date, those whose PAN is not linked to Aadhaar will have their PAN card inoperative. Currently, no new announcement has been made by the government or the Income Tax Department regarding any extension of the deadline. Therefore, those whose PAN is not linked to Aadhaar may now find their PAN inoperative.
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What does it mean if PAN is inoperative?
If your PAN isn’t linked to Aadhaar, it will become inoperative. This will directly impact your financial transactions. You won’t be able to open a new bank account, make large-money transactions, or file income tax returns. The government’s goal with these rules is to curb tax evasion and eliminate fake PAN cards from the system.
How to check whether your PAN card is active or not?
If you want to know whether your PAN card is still active or not, you can easily check it by visiting the Income Tax Department website incometax.gov.in.
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First of all go to the official website of Income Tax Department incometax.gov.in.
Then go to the “Quick Links” section and select the “Verify PAN Status” option.
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Fill in the required information and click on Continue.
OTP will come on the mobile number linked to your Aadhaar.
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Enter OTP and click on Validate.
If your PAN card is active, a message will appear on the screen: Pan is Active and Details are as Per Pan.
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Linking your PAN card with Aadhaar is no longer just a formality, but a necessity. If you haven’t already, do so immediately. Otherwise, you could face many difficulties related to banking, taxes, and transactions in the future.