Why your PAN can become inoperative

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has set December 31, 2025 as the deadline to link PAN with Aadhaar. If you miss it, your PAN becomes inoperative from January 1, 2026, which can disrupt routine financial tasks like filing returns, receiving refunds, or completing high-value transactions.

Who must link PAN and Aadhaar

Linking applies to most PAN holders who are eligible for Aadhaar. Exempt categories include non-residents under the Income-tax Act, individuals over 80 (super-senior citizens), residents of Jammu & Kashmir, Assam and Meghalaya, and persons who are not Indian citizens.

What happens if your pan is inoperative

An inoperative PAN is treated as “not furnished” for many purposes: you may be unable to e-file ITRs, pending refunds can f

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