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ITR Refund Update: Have you filed your ITR as well, only to find that your refund has not yet been credited? If you are assuming that the failure to receive the money in your account is merely a technical glitch, do not make that mistake. It is possible that you have not yet linked your PAN with your Aadhaar, and this is the reason your funds have been held up. This is a minor oversight that millions of people have committed—a matter recently highlighted in Parliament by the Minister of State for Finance, Pankaj Chaudhary.

What Did Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary Say?

During a recent parliamentary session, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary revealed that crores of rupees belonging to lakhs of taxpayers across the country remain stuck due to this single, minor error. He explained that many individuals have failed to link their PAN cards with their Aadhaar, resulting in the withholding of refunds for 130,638 taxpayers. The total value of these withheld refunds amounts to ₹340.30 crore. Therefore, if you too have made this oversight, there is still time to rectify it. Let us explain how.

You Can Still Link Your PAN with Aadhaar

If you have not yet linked your PAN card with your Aadhaar, there is absolutely no need to worry. You can still complete this process; however, you will now be required to pay a fine. This service was provided free of cost until December 31, 2025, but the government has since imposed a penalty fee. To link your PAN with Aadhaar now, you must pay a fee of ₹1,000. This amount is being collected as a late fee or penalty charge.

• Here, in just a few simple steps, we will guide you on how to link your PAN card with your Aadhaar. To do this, first visit the portal and log in at incometax.gov.in.
• Now, on the homepage, click on 'Link Aadhaar' located within the 'Quick Links' section.
• Upon doing so, a window will open where you will need to enter your PAN and Aadhaar numbers.
• Next, pay the late fee of ₹1,000 using the 'e-Pay Tax' facility.
• Subsequently, you will receive an OTP on the mobile number linked to your Aadhaar; enter this OTP in the designated field within the window to proceed.
• Through this simple process, you can link your PAN and Aadhaar.
• Once these steps are completed and your PAN and Aadhaar are successfully linked, your status within the Department's system will automatically change from 'Inoperative' to 'Operative.' Following this, your tax refund will be credited to your bank account within 7 to 30 days.