What is a PAN Card?
The Permanent Account Number or PAN is a 10-digit alphanumeric number issued by the Income Tax Department in India. It serves as an important identification number for tax purposes.
Who Can Apply For a Permanent PAN Card?
There are different forms for Indian citizens and foreign nationals to apply for a PAN.
- Indian Citizens: If you are an Indian citizen (including those located outside India), you need to submit the ‘Application for Allotment of New PAN’ in Form 49A.
- Foreign Citizens: If you are a foreign citizen (except Qualified Foreign Investors or QFIs, who need to apply through a Depository Participant), you need to submit the ‘Application for Allotment of New PAN’ in Form 49AA.
How to Apply For PAN Card?
TO apply for a PAN Card online. follow the steps provided below:
Step 1: Online Registration
The online application process begins with registration. Here’s what you need to do:
- Visit the Income Tax Department (ITD) website.
- Select the appropriate form: Form 49A for Indian citizens or Form 49AA for foreign citizens.
- Choose your category and title (e.g., Individual, HUF, Company, etc.).
- Enter the required details and submit the registration.
- A token number will be generated and displayed on the screen. This token number will also be sent to the email ID provided in the application for reference purposes.
- You can save the details entered in the application form and edit them later using the temporary token number before final submission.
Step 2: Filling the Application
Form Once you have registered and received the token number, you can proceed to fill out the application form.
Here’s what you need to do:
- If the data submitted fails any format-level validation, error messages will be displayed on the screen.
- Rectify the errors and resubmit the form.
- If there are no format-level errors, a confirmation screen will display the data you have filled in.
- Review the information carefully and either edit or confirm the details.
Step 3: Payment
After confirming the application details, you will need to make the payment for the PAN application. The fees vary depending on whether you require a physical PAN card or an e-PAN card, and whether the communication address is in India or outside India.
Payment Details of PAN Card
Here are the applicable fees:
A) If Physical PAN Card is required:
For applications submitted online using physical mode (i.e., physical documents forwarded to Protean):
| Sr. No. | Particulars | Fees (exclusive of taxes) (₹) | Fees (inclusive of taxes) (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dispatch of physical PAN Card in India (Communication address is Indian address) | 91 | 107 |
| 2 | Dispatch of physical PAN Card outside India (where foreign address is provided as address for communication) | 862 | 1,017 |
For applications submitted online through paperless modes (e-KYC & e-Sign / e-Sign scanned based / DSC scanned based):
| Sr. No. | Particulars | Fees (exclusive of taxes) (₹) | Fees (inclusive of taxes) (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dispatch of physical PAN Card in India (Communication address is Indian address) | 86 | 101 |
| 2 | Dispatch of physical PAN Card outside India (where foreign address is provided as address for communication) | 857 | 1,011 |
B) If Physical PAN Card is not required:
For applications submitted online using physical mode (i.e., physical documents forwarded to Protean):
| Sr. No. | Particulars | Fees (exclusive of taxes) (₹) | Fees (inclusive of taxes) (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | e-PAN Card will be dispatched at the email ID mentioned in the PAN application form | 61 | 72 |
For applications submitted online through paperless modes (e-KYC & e-Sign / e-Sign scanned based / DSC scanned based):
| Sr. No. | Particulars | Fees (exclusive of taxes) (₹) | Fees (inclusive of taxes) (₹) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | e-PAN Card will be dispatched to the email ID mentioned in the PAN application form | 56 | 66 |
Step 4: Acknowledgment
After confirming the application details and making the payment (if applicable), an acknowledgment screen will be displayed with a downloadable acknowledgment receipt. An email containing the acknowledgment receipt (in PDF format) and the payment receipt (if paid online, also in PDF format) will be sent to the email ID provided in the application.
Here are some important points regarding the acknowledgment:
- Save and print the acknowledgment.
- For individual applicants, affix two recent color photographs (3.5 cm x 2.5 cm) in the space provided on the acknowledgment. Do not staple or clip the photographs.
- Provide your signature or left-hand thumb impression across the photo affixed on the left side of the acknowledgment, ensuring a portion of the signature/impression is on the photo as well as on the acknowledgment receipt.
- Do not sign or mark the photograph affixed on the right side of the acknowledgment, as it may hinder the visibility of your face.
- For non-individual applicants (e.g., HUF, Company, Partnership Firm, Trust), the acknowledgment receipt should be signed by the authorized signatory (Karta for HUF, Director for Company, Partner for Partnership Firm/LLP, Trustee for Trust, and Authorized Signatory for other categories).
- If using a thumb impression, it should be attested by a Magistrate, Notary Public, or Gazetted Officer, under official seal and stamp.
Step 5: Mode of Submission of Documents
After completing the acknowledgment, you need to submit the required documents to Protean. The mode of submission depends on whether you have applied through the physical mode or the paperless mode.
A) If you have applied using the physical mode (i.e., physical documents forwarded to Protean):
- Send the duly signed acknowledgment, affixed with photographs (in case of ‘Individuals’), along with the Demand Draft (if applicable), and proof of identity, proof of address, and proof of date of birth (applicable for Individuals & Karta of HUF) to the following address:
INCOME TAX PAN SERVICES UNIT (Managed by Protean eGov Technologies Limited) 4th Floor, Sapphire Chambers, Baner Road, Baner, Pune – 411045
- It is mandatory to quote your Aadhaar number or Aadhaar Enrolment ID on the application form. Enclose a copy of the Aadhaar allotment letter or the Enrolment ID receipt along with the acknowledgment.
- Superscribe the envelope with ‘APPLICATION FOR PAN — N-15 digit Acknowledgment Number’ (e.g., ‘APPLICATION FOR PAN — N-881010200000097’).
- Ensure that your acknowledgment, Demand Draft (if applicable), and proofs reach Protean within 15 days from the date of the online application.
B) For e-KYC & e-Sign, e-Sign scanned based, or DSC scanned based online PAN applications (paperless modes):
- There is no need to send physical documents to Protean, as these are paperless modes of PAN application.
Please note:
- Applications received with a Demand Draft as the mode of payment will be processed only after receipt of the relevant proofs and realization of payment.
- Applications received with credit card, debit card, or net banking as the mode of payment will be processed upon receipt of the relevant documents (acknowledgment and proofs).
Contact Information for PAN-Related Queries
If you need any assistance or have queries regarding the PAN application process, you can contact Protean through the following channels:
- Call the PAN/TDS Call Centre at 020 – 27218080
- Fax: 020-27218081
- Email: [email address]
- SMS ‘NSDLPAN <space> 15 digit Acknowledgment No.’ and send it to 57575 to obtain the application status
- Write to: INCOME TAX PAN SERVICES UNIT (Managed by Protean eGov Technologies Limited), 4th Floor, Sapphire Chambers, Baner Road, Baner, Pune – 411045.
Important Instructions
Before you start the application process, please keep the following instructions in mind:
- The application form must be filled in English only.
- Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory and must be filled.
- Leave a blank space after each word, number, or punctuation mark in a field.
- If you already have a PAN, do not apply again, as having or using more than one PAN is illegal. However, you can request a new PAN card or make changes/corrections to your existing PAN data using the appropriate form.
- You will need to provide the AO code (Area Code, AO Type, Range Code, and AO Number) of your Jurisdictional Assessing Officer. You can obtain these details from the Income Tax Office or search for them using the options provided in the form.
- For foreign citizens applying through Form 49AA, you should provide only the International Taxation AO code. If you don’t know the code, you can use the default AO code for international taxation under Delhi RCC (DLC-C-35-1).
