Applying for a PAN card is very simple. You can do it online or via a govt. app. Want to know how? Find out here!
Indians use the Permanent Account Number (PAN) Card as an identification document for different purposes. Many PAN cardholders neither work nor file tax returns but have the PAN card solely for the purpose of identification.
As the importance of this document has increased over the years, more and more people are applying for it. While you cannot download your PAN card, you can save it using a DigiLocker account provided by the government or get it in a pdf via email when you apply for a PAN card online.
Applying For PAN
The Income Tax department has simplified the process of applying for a PAN card. While the PAN card could earlier be obtained only through middlemen, who were usually Chartered Accountants, today the PAN card can be easily applied for online. This is an easy and user-friendly process, with clear instructions and guidelines given at every stage.
Additional Reading: PAN Card Decoded
Here are the steps involved in applying for a PAN card should you wish to do it online –
- Visit the website of the Tax Information Network – https://tin.tin.nsdl.com/pan/.
- This is the home page of the Income Tax department and offers different services such as applying for a new PAN, tracking the status of tax refund and online PAN verification. The applicant can choose the service that they want.
- To apply for a new PAN, Form 49A will need to be used. Form 49A can be filled online by visiting https://www.tin-nsdl.com/services/pan/pan-index.html.
- Fill in the details and submit the form online. After the form is submitted successfully, an acknowledgement is displayed. You will get a unique 15 digit acknowledgement number. This acknowledgement must be saved and printed.
- The acknowledgement form must be sent to the Income Tax department. Before sending this, you will need to attach a few documents along with the acknowledgement form. This includes proof of address and proof of identity. Your name which is mentioned in these documents should be in the same format as that on the PAN application form. Keep this in mind when you are filling Form 49A.
- You must also affix two recent colour photographs on the acknowledgement form in the applicable space. Signatures have to be made where indicated. The photograph you affix should be clear and a recent one, as this is the same photograph which will be used on your PAN card.
Additional Reading: 11 Lakh PAN Cards Deactivated. Is Yours Active?
- Application for PAN necessitates payment of Rs.96 if the communication address is within India. In this case, you can make the payment by one of the following methods – cheque, Demand Draft, internet banking, Credit Card or Debit Card. If the communication address is outside the country, then the amount to be paid is Rs. 962, and this is only in the form of a demand draft. In the case of payment by internet banking, by Credit Card or by Debit Card, the payment has to be made at the time of filling in the form, after which a payment acknowledgement will be given. Take a print-out of this and attach it to the acknowledgement form.
- The acknowledgement form must be accompanied by photographs, proof of address, proof of identification and the payment/payment proof as the case may be. This must be sent to NSDL in Pune within 15 days of the online application date. The envelope should have the words ‘APPLICATION FOR PAN – Acknowledgement Number’. The applications are processed at NSDL after receipt of payment – meaning if the payment has been made by means of a demand draft or cheque, you must wait for realisation of the payment.
The steps above are simple and self-explanatory. There are adequate instructions, guidelines and a list of do’s and don’ts on the website that will guide you in the PAN application process.
How to track your application
The application status can be tracked online after the acknowledgement has been sent. Payments made can also be tracked online. NSDL also offers the facility of tracking by writing to them at their address or by sending an SMS to 57575 by typing SMS NSDLPAN <space> Acknowledgement No.
The process of changing or correcting the details of your existing PAN card is similar to the process of applying for a new PAN card. Fill in the PAN Change Request Form online and follow the steps above. This PAN change request section also has separate guidelines, instructions and do’s and don’ts.
Now you no longer have to depend on someone else to get a PAN card for yourself or anyone you know. Simply follow the steps above and you’re all set.