PAN-Aadhaar Link Deadline: Will your PAN card become ‘junk’ from January 1? Get this work done today itself, otherwise…

PAN Aadhaar Linking Deadline: The Income Tax Department has issued a very important warning to all the taxpayers of the country. If you are among those who have not yet linked your PAN card with Aadhaar, then be careful. The moratorium given by the government is now on the verge of ending. If you do not complete this work within the stipulated time, then from January 1, 2026, your PAN card will become just a piece of plastic, because the department will declare it “inoperative”.

Your problems will increase due to closure of PAN card.

For a common man, PAN card stopping working is no less than a big crisis. If your PAN becomes inoperative after January 1, 2026, you will neither be able to file your Income Tax Return (ITR) nor get your old tax refund. This situation can completely bring your economic activities to a halt.

The trouble does not end here. If you have an inoperative PAN, tax (TDS and TCS) on your banking and financial transactions will be deducted at much higher rates, which will have a direct impact on your savings. Not only this, whether you want to open a new bank account, invest in mutual funds or trade in the stock market, without PAN card all these avenues will be closed for you. Overall, an invalid PAN can lock you out of the main banking system of the country.

How to check your status at home in minutes

Many people remain confused about whether their PAN is already linked or not. It is a matter of relief that the Income Tax Department has given very easy online and offline options to check it. You can visit the official e-filing website of the department (incometax.gov.in) and click on ‘Link Aadhaar Status’ in the ‘Quick Links’ section. You will know your status as soon as you enter your PAN and Aadhaar number there.

If you do not use internet, you can also get this information through SMS. All you have to do is type UIDPAN, followed by space, your 12 digit Aadhaar number and then 10 digit PAN number and send it to 567678 or 56161. After this, the department will tell you through message whether your PAN and Aadhaar are linked or not.

Don’t worry if there is no link, follow this process

If checking the status reveals that your PAN is not linked, it is wise to take immediate action. However, due to many deadlines being missed, now you will have to pay a late fee of Rs 1,000 for this service. To link it, you will have to select the ‘Link Aadhaar’ option on the Income Tax Department portal. After this you will have to validate it by entering your PAN and Aadhaar number.

To pay the fine, you will have to pay through e-pay tax, in which it is mandatory to select ‘Minor Head’. After successful payment, an OTP will come on your registered mobile number, by entering which you can submit your request. After receiving your request, the Income Tax Department sends the data to UIDAI for verification. Usually this process is quite fast, but for concrete information, you can check the status again on the portal after a day or two.