The income tax return (ITR) filing season for FY 2024-25 is starting soon. The last date to file your return is 31 July 2025. But before you sit down to file your ITR, make sure your PAN card is active. If your PAN is inactive or not linked to Aadhaar, you cannot file your return, and your TDS refund may get stuck.
Many taxpayers don’t even realise their PAN has become inoperative. This leads to unnecessary stress at the last moment. So, if you are planning to file your return on time and get your tax refund without delay, it’s time to check your PAN status today.
How to Check If Your PAN is Active or Not?
You can check your PAN card status in less than 5 minutes. There is no need to pay any agent or CA. Just follow these steps:
- Visit the official Income Tax portal: https://www.incometax.gov.in
- Click on “Verify Your PAN”
- Enter your PAN number, date of birth, and mobile number
- Submit the OTP received on your mobile
- The screen will show your PAN status — Active or Inactive
If it shows “Inactive”, then your PAN is not in working condition and you cannot use it for any financial transactions, including ITR filing.
Why PAN Gets Inactive?
The main reason for PAN becoming inactive is non-linking with Aadhaar. The government has made it mandatory to link your PAN with Aadhaar. If this is not done, your PAN is marked as inoperative, even if it was previously active.
What If Your PAN Shows “Active but Inoperative”?
If your PAN shows as Active but Inoperative, it means your PAN still exists in the system, but you cannot use it for filing taxes, opening bank accounts, or making high-value transactions. You can make it operative again by linking it with Aadhaar and paying a penalty of Rs. 1,000.
Once the penalty is paid, your PAN will become fully operative again within 7–30 days. After that, you can easily file your ITR and get TDS refunds.
How to Link PAN With Aadhaar?
The linking process is simple and can be done online in a few minutes. Here’s how:
- Visit the Income Tax Department website
- Click on “Link Aadhaar”
- Enter your PAN, Aadhaar number, and captcha
- Verify using OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile number
- Done! Your PAN will be linked successfully.
If you’re doing it now, you will need to pay a late fee of ₹1,000, which can be done through the ‘e-Pay Tax’ option on the same website.
What Happens If You Don’t Link PAN With Aadhaar?
If you ignore linking your PAN with Aadhaar, you may face these problems:
- You cannot file your income tax return (ITR)
- You will not get any refunds, even if you have paid extra tax
- TDS or TCS will be deducted at a higher rate
- Your Form 26AS will not show TDS properly
- You cannot open a bank account, apply for a debit/credit card, or do high-value transactions above ₹50,000
- You cannot invest in mutual funds, fixed deposits, or buy/sell goods worth over ₹2 lakh
- You will not be able to submit Form 15G/15H, which helps save TDS
Your PAN becomes useless for the most important financial tasks if not linked with Aadhaar.
Deadline to Link PAN With Aadhaar
The last date to link PAN with Aadhaar is 31 December 2025. After this, you may face permanent issues with your PAN. If your PAN becomes inoperative, it will cause trouble for:
- Filing ITRs
- Claiming TDS or tax refunds
- Buying property or mutual funds
- Opening bank accounts
So, don’t delay this step if you want to avoid these problems.
Who is Exempted From Linking PAN With Aadhaar?
The government has allowed a few categories of people to skip the Aadhaar-PAN linking process:
- Senior citizens who are 80 years or older
- Residents of Assam, Meghalaya, and Jammu & Kashmir
- Non-resident Indians (NRIs)
- Foreign nationals who have an Indian PAN but do not live in India
If you fall in any of these categories, you do not have to link PAN with Aadhaar. But even then, you should verify the PAN status online to avoid surprises.
Final Advice Before Filing ITR 2025
Filing an income tax return is not just about uploading numbers. Small things like PAN-Aadhaar linking can create big roadblocks. If your PAN is not active, you will not only miss your refund but may also get a notice from the tax department. So, check your PAN status now and link it with Aadhaar if not done yet.
Sources: Income Tax Department, Moneycontrol, Economic Times
Disclaimer: The article is for information purposes only. Please consult a certified tax expert or financial advisor before making any tax-related decisions.
