PAN Aadhaar Link: Has PAN Card Become Inoperative? How to Link Aadhaar in 2026? Know Easy Process and Cost

PAN Aadhaar Link: As we step into 2026, the deadline of December 31, 2025, has already passed. Have you linked your PAN Card with your Aadhaar Card yet? If the answer is ‘No’, your PAN card has officially been marked as “Inoperative” by the Income Tax Department. However, there is no need to panic yet. You can still reactivate your card and link it by paying a specific penalty fee.

In this report, we will guide you through the process of linking your inoperative PAN with Aadhaar in 2026, the penalty amount involved, and the step-by-step procedure to make your PAN operative again.

Consequences of an Inoperative PAN Card

If your PAN card is currently inoperative, you may face several financial hurdles. According to the Income Tax rules:

• Higher TDS Deduction: Until your PAN becomes operative, Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) will be deducted at a much higher rate than usual on your income.
• No Tax Refunds: You will not be issued any Income Tax Refunds for the period during which your PAN remains inoperative.
• Transaction Failures: Since PAN is mandatory for significant banking and financial transactions, you might face difficulties in executing them.

How to Link PAN-Aadhaar with Penalty

Even though the deadline has expired, you can still link the two documents by paying a late fee of Rs 1,000 under Section 234H of the Income Tax Act. The process is divided into two main steps.

Step 1: Paying the Penalty Fee

Before you can request the linking, you must pay the fine on the government portal.

1. Visit the official Income Tax e-filing portal at incometax.gov.in and select the ‘e-Pay Tax’ option.
2. Enter your PAN and Mobile Number to verify via OTP.
3. Crucially, select the Assessment Year as 2026-27.
4. Choose ‘Other Receipts (500)’ as the Type of Payment.
5. Select ‘Fee for delay in linking PAN with Aadhaar’ as the Sub-type.
6. Pay the Rs 1,000 fee using UPI, Net Banking, or Debit Card.

Step 2: Submitting the Linking Request

Paying the fee does not automatically link the documents. You must wait for 4 to 5 working days for the payment to reflect in the tax system.

1. After the waiting period, visit the Income Tax portal again and go to the ‘Link Aadhaar’ section.
2. Enter your PAN and Aadhaar numbers. Once the system displays “Your payment details are verified,” click on ‘Continue’.
3. Enter your Name (as per Aadhaar) and Mobile Number.
4. Click on ‘Link Aadhaar’ to finalize the request.

Timeline for Reactivation

After successfully submitting the linking request, your PAN card will not become active instantly. According to the Income Tax Department, it may take up to 30 days for the PAN to become “Operative” again.

Important Note: If there is a mismatch in your Name, Date of Birth, or Gender between the PAN and Aadhaar cards, the linking process will fail. In such cases, you must first update the incorrect details in one of the documents before attempting to link them.