Check whether your PAN is linked to Aadhaar and operative for tax and financial transactions.
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What is PAN-Aadhaar linking?
PAN–Aadhaar linking is the mandatory process of associating a Permanent Account Number (PAN) with an Aadhaar number, as required under Section 262(6) of the Income Tax Act, 2025. Every individual who has been allotted a PAN and is eligible to obtain an Aadhaar number is required to complete this linkage.
For new PAN applicants, Aadhaar–PAN linking is completed automatically at the time of application.
Current status of the PAN–Aadhaar link deadline
The deadline to link PAN with Aadhaar was 31 December 2025 for individuals whose PAN was issued using an Aadhaar Enrolment ID before 1 October 2024. For all other individuals, the deadline was 31 May 2024. These dates were specified by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) via notification in the Official Gazette.
What does your PAN–Aadhaar link status mean?
The Income Tax portal returns one of four statuses when you check. Here is what each one means and what, if anything, you need to do.
Linked: Your PAN and Aadhaar are successfully linked. The PAN is operative and you can file returns, receive refunds, and use the PAN for financial transactions without restriction.
Not linked/PAN inoperative: No link exists between your PAN and Aadhaar. Since the deadline has passed, your PAN is now inoperative under Section 262(6) of the Income Tax Act, 2025.
Linking in progress: Your link request has been received and sent to UIDAI for validation. This is a normal transitional state. UIDAI typically confirms within a few working days, sometimes up to 7–10 working days. Do not submit another request; it will not speed up the process.
Linking failed — details mismatch: UIDAI attempted to validate your PAN–Aadhaar combination and found a discrepancy. The most common cause is a name or date of birth mismatch between the two databases. For example, a maiden name on PAN versus a married name on Aadhaar, or an abbreviated name on one and a full name on the other.
To fix this: identify which record has the error, correct it at a PAN service centre (Protean or UTIITSL) or at an Aadhaar Seva Kendra, then re-submit the linking request.
What happens if PAN is inoperative?
A PAN marked inoperative due to non-linking with Aadhaar results in the following under Rule 162(3) of the Income Tax Rules, 2026:
Tax refunds are not processed
No interest accrues on pending refunds during the inoperative period
TDS and TCS are deducted at higher rates under Section 397(2) of the Income Tax Act, 2025
In addition, the Income Tax e-filing portal does not accept ITR submissions from holders of an inoperative PAN. PAN-based financial transactions — including opening bank accounts, investing in mutual funds, and high-value purchases — may also be blocked or rejected by institutions requiring a valid PAN.
Who is exempt from PAN–Aadhaar linking?
The following categories are exempt from the linking requirement:
Non-Resident Indians (NRIs)
Individuals who are not citizens of India
Citizens aged 80 years or above
Residents of Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, and Meghalaya
How to re-activate an inoperative PAN?
If linking is still pending, it can be completed by:
Paying the ₹1,000 fee on the Income Tax e-filing portal via e-Pay Tax
Submitting the PAN–Aadhaar link request on the portal after payment is processed
PAN is reactivated within 30 days of successful linking
