​What is the last date for PAN-Aadhar linking? What happens If you fail to do so​

Yes. The government has extended the deadline to link PAN and Aadhaar until December 31, 2025, for those who got their PAN using Aadhaar enrolment before October 1, 2024.

Linking your PAN card to Aadhaar is mandatory as per the Income Tax Department. Failure to do so will make your PAN inactive, preventing you from filing tax returns or conducting financial transactions. This also aims to reduce tax fraud and improve administration. It's essential to link these documents promptly to avoid issues with your finances.

If you miss the December 31 deadline to link your PAN with Aadhaar, your PAN card will become inactive and you cannot use it for filing taxes or banking activities. Not only will you face difficulties claiming tax refunds, but also, opening bank accounts, or getting credit and debit cards won’t be possible.

Those who got their PAN using Aadhaar enrolment before October 1, 2024, the deadline for linking PAN to Aadhar is December 31, 2025. Failure to link by that date will result in PAN becoming inoperative from 1st January 2026. The CBDT circular mandates that such PAN holders must inform the tax authorities of their Aadhaar details by the deadline to avoid any disruption.

If your PAN becomes inactive, you can make it active again by paying a penalty of Rs 1,000 on the Income Tax e-Filing portal. You can pay using net banking, debit card, or UPI, and then submit the request to link PAN and Aadhaar. The process usually takes between seven to thirty days to complete and reactivate your PAN.

Linking your PAN and Aadhaar online is simple and quick. Just visit the Income Tax e-Filing website, enter your PAN and Aadhaar details, and authenticate with an OTP sent on your registered mobile number. If you need to pay a penalty, it will be integrated into the process so you can complete everything in one place.

Certain people, like resident foreign nationals and others, are exempt from linking PAN with Aadhaar. If your name or date of birth does not match between documents, you must update details before linking. If you face any issues, you can visit PAN service centers for biometric verification and other support to complete the linking smoothly.