PAN Application

Permanent Account Number also known as PAN, is the number through which we can Identify various taxpayers of India. It is a system of providing unique identification to every legal person which facilitates the maintenance of database. All the detailed tax-related information of an entity or a person is recorded and maintained under a single PAN. 

Before the notification of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) in 2019, the Assessee was bound to quote PAN number on various forms under Income-tax Act and rules. But now Permanent Account Number (PAN) and Aadhaar can be used interchangeably. ie., Individuals can quote his Aadhaar number instead of PAN. 

PAN is usually used while opening a bank account (other than a savings bank account), applying for credit or a debit card, opening a Demat account and also in various transaction of sales and purchases as per the rules of Income-tax.  

What is PAN? 

A Permanent Account Number is a unique identification number assigned to an Assessee who is liable to pay tax. PAN consist of 10 alphanumerical digits. 

The first three characters of PAN are alphabetic series starting from AAA till ZZZ. 
The fourth character is an alphabet which represents the status of the PAN holder. 

Fourth Alphabet	Assessee
P	Individual
F	Firm
C	Company
H	Hindu Undivided Family
A	Association of Person
B	Body of Individuals
G	Government Agency
L	Local Authority
J	Artificial Juridical Person
T	Trust

The Fifth character of the PAN represents the first character of the PAN holder's last name/surname. 

The next four characters of PAN are sequential numbers starting from 0001 to 9999. 

The last character PAN is an alphabetic check digit. 

PAN Card is important for taxpayers as it is necessary for all financial transactions and is used to track the inflow and outflow of your money. It is important when paying income tax, receiving tax refunds, and receiving communication from the Income Tax Department. PAN Card comprises of the following details: 

1. Name and PAN number of the cardholder. 
2. Father’s name and Date of birth. 
3. A quick response code that carries detail of the cardholder. 
4. Signature of the cardholder. 

PAN Card is issued by the Income Tax Department with help from PAN agencies, UTI ITSL (UTI Infrastructure Technology and Services Limited), and NSDL (National Securities Depository Limited).  

There are several TIN-Facilitation Centres and PAN centres across the country, run by NSDL that help citizens get their PAN Card. Form 49A can be filed by Indian citizens, companies, NGOs, partnership firms, local bodies, and trusts. For Foreigners and foreign entities, the prescribed form is Form- 49AA. 

For the online application, we can go to the NSDL website or the UTI ITSL website. 

Online PAN application Through NSDL website: 

1. Visit the official website of NSDL. 
2. Click on ‘Application Type’ and choose Form 49A or 49AA according to the type of person for whom PAN is to be applied. 
3. Choose the category of the PAN applicant as per the legal status of such person/entity.  (Ex., Individual, HUF, Company, etc.) 
4. Fill in the details like name/Surname, First name, and Middle name (if any). 
5. Next fill the Date of Birth/Incorporation/Formation date in the prescribed format. 
6. Enter the contact details of PAN applicant like email address and contact number. 
7. Accept the terms and conditions after reading them, then enter the CAPTCHA code and submit the application. 
8.  Next a token number will be provided to you, and then you can click on “Continue with PAN application form” to provide further details. 
9.  Then you can fill the information required under the “Personal Details” tab. 
10. Choosing the option of “submit digitally through e-KYC & e-Sign (paperless)” will let you submit PAN application documents online easily. 
11. Once the personal details are filled, then you shall move on to the next tab of “contact and other details”. Here the applicant can easily fill the required information. 
12. Next step is to choose the AO Code (Assessing Officer Code) using the address of the applicant. 
13. The Last tab is “document details” where we need to give three types of proof: 

• Proof of identity  
• Proof of address 
• Proof of date of birth 

For an individual, an Aadhaar card can be used as a single proof document. 

14. After checking the application this form can be submitted and the user can be redirected to the payment gateway. 
15. Once the payment is made then the next process will be Aadhaar authentication. Here e-KYC is verified with an OTP on your registered mobile number linked with Aadhaar. 
16. Lastly, we have to eSign the application through OTP which would be received on email and mobile number. 

To apply for a PAN card online through UTIITSL, we need to perform the following steps carefully- 

1. Visit the official website of UTIITSL and click on the option “For PAN Cards” 
2. Click on “Apply PAN Card” and we will be redirected to a new page with various options such as PAN card as an Indian Citizen, PAN card as Foreign Citizen, Download e-PAN, etc. 
3. Next, we will click on “PAN card as an Indian Citizen” or “PAN Card as Foreign Citizen”. 
4. After that select “Apply for a new PAN Card (Form 49A)”, “Regenerate Online PAN application (Form 49A)”, or “Download blank PAN Form 49A”. 
5. Click on “Apply for a new PAN Card” and we will be redirected to Form 49A or Form 49AA with two options to fill the form- “Physical Mode” and “Digital Mode” 
6. By clicking on “Physical Mode”, we need to submit the signed application to the nearest UTI ITSL office. 
7. Once all the required information is filed, choose your required PAN card mode. 
8. Now we can submit the application and make the required payment for your PAN Card, through a DD, cheque, internet banking, credit card, or debit card. 
9. After completing the above process, we will receive a soft copy of an acknowledgment receipt. 
10. After the documentation process is completed, we will receive the PAN number through a registered mobile number and email id. 
11. We can also check our PAN application status through the UTI ITSL website. 

How to apply for PAN Card Offline 

Here are the steps we have to follow if we need to apply for PAN Card offline. 

1. Visit the official website of TIN-NSDL and under the download section choose “PAN” and download “Form 49A” or “Form 49AA”. 
2.  After taking a print of the form fill the form and make sure all the details entered are in parity with the proof documents we are attaching. 
3. Also affix a passport size photo and sign underneath. 
4. We will have to pay the registration fee which can be paid via demand draft in favour of “NSDL – PAN” payable at Mumbai. 
5. Then enclose the application form and photocopies of your documents in an envelope. We should mention “APPLICATION FOR PAN” on the envelope and send it to the following address: 

Income Tax PAN Services Unit, 

NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited, 

5th floor, Mantri Sterling, 

Plot No. 341, Survey No. 997/8, Model Colony, Near Deep Bungalow Chowk, Pune – 411016. 

6. Later, You will receive an application number to track the status of your PAN Card application. 

To apply for PAN Card, we need to provide the documents as per the chosen forms which are Form 49A or 49AA. 

For an individual applicant.  

• Proof of identity such as Aadhaar, Voter ID, Driving License, etc. 
• Proof of address such as water bill, bank account statement, statement of your credit card, Passport, Driving License, Domicile certificate issued by the Government, matriculation certificate, etc. 
• Proof of date of birth such as Aadhaar, Passport, Driving License, etc. 

For a Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) 

• An affidavit issued by the Karta of the HUF, wherein the affidavit must mention the names and address of every coparcener. 
• If the applicant belongs to HUF and is individually applying for a PAN Card, then it is necessary to submit the proof of identity, proof of address, and date of birth proof. 

For companies registered in India 

• A copy of the Registration Certificate issued by the Registrar of Companies is to be submitted. 

Firms and Limited Liability Partnerships registered or formed in India. 

• A copy of the Registration Certificate issued by the Registrar of Firms has to be submitted. 
• A copy of the Partnership Deed has to be submitted. 

 For Trusts formed or registered in India. 

• It is necessary to submit a copy of the Registration Certificate Number issued by the Charity Commissioner. 

 For Association of Persons. 

• Agreement Copy or Registration Number Certificate issued by the Registrar of Co-operative Society/Charity Commissioner, or any document issued by the Central or State Government which mentions the address and identity of the applicant. 

 Applicants who are not citizens of India. 

• Proof of identity such that the applicant is a person of Indian origin, issued by the Government of India, Copy of Overseas Citizen of India, issued by the Government of India, Passport Copy, etc. 
• Proof of Address can be a bank statement of the residential country, Non-Residential External Bank statement, Copy of VISA granted by an Indian company, etc.