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How to link PAN with Aadhaar and check the status

Linking is done on the Income Tax e-Filing portal under "Link Aadhaar/View Status", without logging in. You first pay a fee of Rs 1,000 through e-Pay Tax, then submit the link request with an OTP. An unlinked PAN is inoperative, which blocks income tax refunds and makes TDS and TCS apply at higher rates until you link it.

Fee
Rs 1,000
Time
Fee can take 4 to 5 working days to reflect; request is then validated by UIDAI
How
Online on the e-Filing portal; biometric linking at PAN centres if details do not match

Checked against official sources on . See the 11 sources.

Quick answer

  1. Check first: e-Filing portal, Quick Links, "Link Aadhaar/View Status", "View Status". Enter PAN and Aadhaar number. No login is needed.
  2. If not linked: pay Rs 1,000 through e-Pay Tax (Income Tax, "Other Receipts (500)").
  3. Go back to "Link Aadhaar", enter PAN and Aadhaar, validate, enter your name as per Aadhaar and mobile number, and confirm with the OTP.
  4. Check the status again after a few days.

If you got your PAN recently on the basis of Aadhaar, it is already linked and you have nothing to do.

Who can apply

Must link: every individual who was allotted a PAN as on 1 July 2017 and is eligible to obtain Aadhaar. The portal states that linking is mandatory.

Exempt (linking is not compulsory and the PAN does not turn inoperative for want of linking):

  • individuals residing in Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, or Meghalaya;
  • non-residents under the Income-tax Act;
  • individuals aged 80 years or more at any time during the previous year;
  • individuals who are not citizens of India.

The department notes that these exemptions can change by notification. An exempt person who chooses to link voluntarily still has to pay the fee.

PAN obtained with an Aadhaar Enrolment ID: such holders were required to link their actual Aadhaar number by 31 December 2025. Where that was not done, the PAN is inoperative from 1 January 2026.

Documents you need

Nothing is uploaded. Keep ready:

  • your PAN;
  • your Aadhaar number;
  • a working mobile number for the OTP (the fee payment step accepts any mobile number);
  • a way to pay Rs 1,000 online.

Before paying, compare your name, date of birth and gender on the PAN card and the Aadhaar. The department says date of birth and gender must be exactly the same in both. Fix any difference first; the fee does not fix a mismatch.

Steps

Online

Part 1: Pay the fee

  1. Open incometax.gov.in. Under Quick Links click "Link Aadhaar/View Status", then "Continue" under "Link Aadhaar".
  2. Enter your PAN and Aadhaar number.
  3. Click "Continue to Pay Through e-Pay Tax".
  4. Enter your PAN, confirm it, and give any mobile number to receive an OTP.
  5. After OTP verification you reach the e-Pay Tax page. Click "Proceed" on the "Income Tax" tile.
  6. Select the relevant Assessment Year and choose Type of Payment "Other Receipts (500)". Click "Continue".
  7. The amount is pre-filled against "Others". Click "Continue"; a challan is generated.
  8. Choose the payment mode and pay on your bank's page. Save the challan.

The portal asks that the fee be paid under minor head 500 within major head 0021 (Income Tax other than Companies) in a single challan. Do not split it into two payments.

Part 2: Submit the link request

  1. Return to "Link Aadhaar/View Status" and click "Continue" under "Link Aadhaar". (If you have an e-Filing account you can instead log in and use "Link Aadhaar" in the Profile section of the Dashboard.)
  2. Enter PAN and Aadhaar and click "Validate".
  3. If the payment has been matched you see "Your payment details are verified". Click "Continue".
  4. Enter the details asked for, including your name as per Aadhaar and mobile number, and click "Link Aadhaar".
  5. Enter the 6 digit OTP sent to that mobile number and click "Validate".
  6. You see a message that the request has been submitted. It then goes to UIDAI for validation.

If you see "Payments details not found" although you have paid, wait 4 to 5 working days and try again. Do not pay a second time.

In person

Use this only when the online request fails because the name in the two records is too different. The department advises biometric based Aadhaar authentication at the dedicated centres of the PAN service providers, Protean and UTIITSL.

  1. Pay the Rs 1,000 fee online first and print the challan.
  2. Find a designated centre on the Protean or UTIITSL website.
  3. Carry your PAN, Aadhaar and the challan copy. A separate biometric authentication charge is payable at the centre.

Fees

ItemAmount
Fee to link Aadhaar with PAN (and so make an inoperative PAN operative)Rs 1,000
Checking link statusFree
Biometric authentication at a Protean or UTIITSL centreSeparate charge, collected at the centre
New PAN applicantsNothing to pay here; linked automatically at the application stage

CBDT Circular No. 03 of 2023 states that a fee of one thousand rupees will continue to apply to make the PAN operative by intimating the Aadhaar number.

How long it takes

  • Fee to reflect: the manual says to wait 4 to 5 working days if the portal does not yet show the payment.
  • After submitting: the request may show as pending with UIDAI for validation; check the status later.
  • PAN becoming operative again: the portal pages do not state a fixed number of days. Check with "Verify PAN Status" before relying on the PAN for a refund or a transaction.

How to check status

Without logging in

  1. Quick Links, "Link Aadhaar/View Status", then "Continue" under "View Status".
  2. Enter PAN and Aadhaar Number and click "View Link Aadhaar Status".
  3. A message shows whether the two are linked, the request is pending with UIDAI, or they are not linked.

After logging in: on the Dashboard click "Link Aadhaar Status", or go to My Profile, "Link Aadhaar Status". If already linked, your Aadhaar number is displayed.

To see whether the PAN itself is operative, use "Verify PAN Status" under Quick Links.

Common problems

  • Name, date of birth or gender mismatch. Correct the wrong record. For PAN, use the change or correction application at Protean or UTIITSL. For Aadhaar, update at an Aadhaar centre. A minor difference in name is handled with an OTP to your Aadhaar mobile; a completely different name makes the linking fail.
  • "PAN is already linked with some other Aadhaar" or the reverse. The portal cannot undo this. Write to your Jurisdictional Assessing Officer asking for the wrong link to be removed. Find the officer with "Know Your JAO" on the portal.
  • Validation failed after submission. The manual says to click "Link Aadhaar" on the status page and repeat the linking steps.
  • Paid under the wrong head. The portal asks for the fee as "Other Receipts (500)" under major head 0021 in a single challan. If you paid differently and the payment is not picked up, contact the e-Filing helpdesk before paying again.
  • NRI with an inoperative PAN. Non-residents are exempt, but the department must know your status. Intimate your NRI status with supporting documents to your Jurisdictional Assessing Officer.
  • Helpdesk. e-Filing: 1800 103 0025 or 1800 419 0025, 8 am to 8 pm, Monday to Friday.

FAQ

What happens if PAN is not linked with Aadhaar?

The PAN becomes inoperative. The department lists four consequences: no refund of tax is issued, no interest is paid on the refund for the period the PAN stays inoperative, TDS is deducted at the higher rate under section 206AA, and TCS is collected at the higher rate under section 206CC. These apply from 1 July 2023 until the PAN is operative again.

Is the PAN cancelled if it becomes inoperative?

No. It is the same PAN, and it becomes operative again once you pay the fee and link Aadhaar. Do not apply for a second PAN.

What is the fee for linking PAN with Aadhaar now?

Rs 1,000, paid through e-Pay Tax before the link request is submitted.

Is there a last date for PAN Aadhaar linking?

The general deadline passed on 30 June 2023, and unlinked PANs have been inoperative since 1 July 2023. You can still link at any time with the Rs 1,000 fee. For PANs allotted on an Aadhaar Enrolment ID the date was 31 December 2025.

How can I check if my PAN is linked with Aadhaar?

On the e-Filing portal choose "Link Aadhaar/View Status", then "View Status", and enter PAN and Aadhaar number. It needs no login.

No. Individuals aged 80 or more, non-residents, non-citizens, and residents of Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, and Meghalaya are outside the requirement, subject to any later notification.

My employer deducted higher TDS because my PAN was inoperative. Can that be reversed?

CBDT Circular No. 9/2025 relieves the deductor from the higher rate where the payment was made on or after 1 August 2025 and the PAN is made operative within two months from the end of the month of payment. So link quickly and tell the deductor once the PAN is operative.

The fee payment accepts any mobile number, and the link request sends its OTP to the mobile number you enter in that step. An OTP to the Aadhaar-registered mobile is used when there is a minor mismatch in name.

No. For new applicants the Aadhaar and PAN are linked automatically during the application.

Sources

Every fee, time limit, form and address above was read on these official pages on 12 October 2026.

  1. Income Tax e-Filing portal, Link Aadhaar/View Status Supports Page name and the two options (Link Aadhaar, View Status); linking is mandatory under section 139AA; fee to be paid under minor head 500 within major head 0021 in a single challan; reference to the circular dated 21 July 2025
  2. Income Tax e-Filing portal, View Status page Supports Status check needs only PAN and Aadhaar number; button label View Link Aadhaar Status
  3. Income Tax e-Filing portal, home page Supports Quick Links labels (Link Aadhaar/View Status, e-Pay Tax, Verify PAN Status, Know Your JAO); helpdesk numbers and hours
  4. Income Tax e-Filing portal, Link Aadhaar User Manual Supports Prerequisites; fee payment steps through e-Pay Tax with Other Receipts (500); pre-login and post-login link steps; wait 4 to 5 working days if payment is not found; error scenarios; delinking through the Jurisdictional Assessing Officer; new PAN applicants are linked automatically
  5. Income Tax e-Filing portal, Link Aadhaar help and FAQs Supports Who must link; exempt categories; Notification No. 26/2025 for PANs allotted on an Aadhaar Enrolment ID (link by 31 December 2025, inoperative from 1 January 2026); consequences; mismatch and biometric authentication; fee of Rs 1,000 continues
  6. Income Tax e-Filing portal, Link Aadhaar FAQ Supports Exempt categories; voluntary linking by exempt persons needs the fee; consequences of an inoperative PAN
  7. CBDT Circular No. 03 of 2023 dated 28 March 2023 (PDF) Supports The four consequences of an inoperative PAN; effective from 1 July 2023 until the PAN becomes operative; fee of one thousand rupees; exempt persons not affected
  8. CBDT Circular No. 9/2025 dated 21 July 2025 Supports No higher TDS or TCS liability on the deductor where the payment is on or after 1 August 2025 and the PAN is made operative within two months from the end of the month of payment
  9. UTIITSL PAN portal Supports Biometric Aadhaar authentication at designated PAN centres and UTIITSL branch offices when PAN and Aadhaar data do not match; NRIs with an inoperative PAN should intimate NRI status to the Jurisdictional Assessing Officer
  10. Protean (TIN) PAN services home Supports Designated Protean PAN centres for biometric based Aadhaar authentication; Verify PAN status link for operative or inoperative
  11. UIDAI, FAQ, Your Aadhaar (PAN and Aadhaar) Supports Date of birth and gender must be exactly the same in PAN and Aadhaar; a minor name mismatch is handled by Aadhaar OTP; a completely different name makes linking fail

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