Aadhaar-PAN Linking Deadline Ends Today: How To Link And Check Status Before Fine Applies

Aadhar pan card link status: The countdown to December 31 is no longer theoretical. It’s here and for PAN card holders who still haven’t linked Aadhaar, the window is about to shut. The government has

made its position clear. From January 1, 2026, PAN cards that remain unlinked will turn inoperative. In practical terms, that means your PAN could suddenly stop working for things you probably take for granted, like filing tax returns, completing KYC, or handling certain bank and investment transactions. If this task has been sitting on your to-do list for months, consider this the last call.PAN–Aadhaar Linking Deadline And Late FeeDecember 31, 2025 (today) is the last day to link Aadhaar with PAN without running into penalties. Miss this deadline and the process doesn’t end, but it does get more annoying. You’ll first need to pay a late fee of Rs 1,000 before you can even start linking the two. The fee itself may not sting much, but dealing with an inoperative PAN when you urgently need it definitely will.How To Link Your PAN With Aadhaar Before The DeadlineIf your details match, the process is fairly straightforward and completely online. Head to the income tax e-filing portal and log in with your credentials. Inside your profile, you’ll find the option to link Aadhaar. Enter your PAN and Aadhaar numbers and move ahead to the e-pay tax section if the portal asks for payment. Select the relevant assessment year, choose “other receipts” as the payment type, complete the transaction, and finish the linking process.If your PAN is already linked, the system will tell you right away, saving you the extra steps.How To Check Your Aadhaar–PAN Link StatusNot sure whether you’ve already done this in the past? Checking takes less than a minute. On the income tax e-filing portal, click on the ‘Link Aadhaar status’ option, enter your PAN and Aadhaar numbers, and submit. The result appears instantly on the screen, no login required.What To Do If Details Don’t MatchSometimes the problem isn’t procrastination but mismatched details. A spelling difference in your name or a date mismatch can block the process. In such cases, Aadhaar details can be corrected through the UIDAI portal, while PAN details can be updated via UTIITSL or other authorised PAN service centres. Once the corrections are done, linking usually goes through smoothly.With the deadline ending today, acting now is far easier than fixing an inoperative PAN tomorrow.