Introduction

It is well known that the PAN Card is a very important document to have by all adult citizens and business entities in India. It works as an identity proof and is required by various government and non-government institutions for various purposes. Most common use cases include an account opening in a Bank, getting a loan, obtaining a credit card, getting a salary, buying or selling immovable and movable properties such as homes and vehicles, making investments and filing income tax returns etc. Whenever you get into a big financial transaction, you need to present your PAN card to complete the formalities. Considering the huge usage and requirement for new PAN cards, the government has introduced a provision to provide Instant PAN using Aadhaar. Let’s dive deeper into the scheme and understand how you can obtain an Instant PAN Card if you already possess an Aadhaar Card.

What is a PAN?

PAN stands for permanent account number. It is an alphanumeric code of ten digits. Each character in this code has a specific meaning attached to it. The first three characters represent random series from AAA to ZZZ. The fourth letter represents the status of the PAN Card Holder. It can be an individual, company, association, body, agency, artificial person, firm or trust. The fifth letter represents the first letter of the surname of the cardholder and in the case of a company or non-person entity, it represents the first character of the name of the PAN holder. The next four letters of the PAN number include a number from 001 to 9999. Finally, the last and tenth characters is an alphabetic check digit.

Who provides PAN Registration?

The establishment and management of PAN Service Centers is permitted by the Income Tax Department for UTI Infrastructure Technology and Services Limited (UTIITSL) and National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL), which is currently known as Protean. PAN application centres, also known as PAN Service Centers and TIN Facilitation Centers, are located in different parts of India's largest cities and are operated by UTIITSL and Protean.

Applying for a PAN requires sending the PAN application form (Form 49A/49AA), the necessary paperwork, and the requisite fees to the PAN application centre run by Protean or UTIITSL. Furthermore, online applications can be filed via Protean's or UTIITSL's corresponding websites.

Pre-Requirements to Avail Instant PAN using Aadhaar

There are some requirements which you need to fulfil before you apply for the Instant PAN Card-

• This facility is exclusively for new applicants. If you already possess a PAN card and need a duplicate, you cannot utilize this service. Therefore, it is a prerequisite that you have not been allotted a PAN number previously.
• You must also have a valid aadhaar number issued and a mobile number linked to the same. It will be used for verification hence the mobile number should also be active and available while applying for instant PAN.
• To obtain a PAN card, you must have attained the age of 18 years. The applicant should not be a minor at the time of processing a request for Instant PAN.
• The user should also not be covered under the definition of representative assessee under section 160 of the Income Tax Act.

Once these requirements are satisfied, you can continue to apply for the PAN through the Instant PAN using Aadhaar scheme.

Read Our Blog: UTI Pan Card Download

How to apply for Instant PAN using Aadhaar?

You can apply for the Instant PAN using the e-filing portal of the income tax department. You need to complete the following steps carefully to successfully submit your e-PAN request-

Step 1: Initiate a New e-PAN request

• Navigate to the e-Filing portal homepage and click on Instant e-PAN.
• On the e-PAN page, select Get New e-PAN.

Step 2: Provide Aadhaar Details

• Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number on the Get New e-PAN page.
• Confirm your details by selecting the relevant checkbox and click Continue.
• On the OTP validation page, read and agree to the consent terms.
• Enter the 6-digit OTP received on the Aadhaar-linked mobile.
• Validate Aadhaar details with UIDAI by selecting the checkbox and click Continue.
• On the Validate Aadhaar Details page, confirm by selecting the relevant checkbox and click Continue.

Step 3: Acknowledgement and Confirmation

• Upon successful submission, a confirmation message displays along with an acknowledgement number.
• Make a note of the Acknowledgement ID for future reference.
• You'll also receive a confirmation message on your Aadhaar-linked mobile number.

Step 4: Checking Status and Downloading e-PAN

• Navigate to Check Status and Download PAN page, enter your 12-digit Aadhaar and click Continue.
• On the OTP Validation page, enter the 6-digit OTP from your Aadhaar-linked mobile and click Continue.
• Check the status of your e-PAN request on the Current Status page. If the new e-PAN is generated, click View e-PAN or Download e-PAN to obtain a copy.

Updating PAN Details Through e-PAN Portal

To update PAN details using Aadhaar, follow these steps on the e-filing portal of the Income Tax Department-

• First, go to the homepage and choose Instant e-PAN. Select Update PAN from the e-PAN page.
• On the Update PAN Details screen, enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number, select the appropriate checkbox to confirm, and then click Continue.
• Use the 6-digit OTP that was provided to your Aadhar-registered mobile number on the OTP Validation page to validate.
• View Aadhaar e-KYC details and PAN-registered data after validation.
• Check the boxes next to the information you want to update, including your address, phone number, email address, date of birth, and photo.
• Verify the chosen modifications, and you'll get an acknowledgement number and a success message.

For future use, remember the Acknowledgment ID. A confirmation message will also be delivered to the email address and mobile number associated with your Aadhaar.

Read Our Blog:  e-Pan Card – Get Online From Income Tax e Filing Portal

Conclusion

We have understood the steps involved in getting the PAN Number using the latest Instant PAN using the Aadhaar scheme of the government. It is very convenient and useful for those who do not have Aadhaar and want to get it as soon as possible to undertake certain urgent transactions. Aadhar-linked mobile number-based authentication helps in identifying the real person behind the applicant which assists the income tax authorities to quickly verify and issue the PAN to the applicant. Detailed step-by-step instructions provided can make anyone, including those who are new to the online application ecosystem, understand the procedure and they can apply for PAN using the Aadhaar-based instant PAN scheme. This facility is another milestone on the path of providing safe, secure, fast and reliable online government services to the citizens.