A PAN card or your Permanent Account Number is a small identification card that is issued by the Income Tax Department of India. This unique 10 digit alphanumeric number is used to maintain all your tax records and is linked to your Adhaar Card to carry out all financial transactions. This can also include opening a bank account, buying a property, making investments and other major transactions.
A PAN card helps the government to keep track of every individual’s earnings and taxes, and so it becomes a necessity for every Indian citizen to have it. In case you thought that applying for a PAN card is complicated, then you are wrong. With the online application process, you can get your PAN card with just a few clicks.
There are two ways to apply for a PAN Card online: via the Income Tax Portal and via the NSDL/UTIITSL website. Let us break down the easy steps for applying for a PAN Card under both these ways.
Steps For Applying for a PAN Card via the Income Tax Portal
- Go to the official website of the Income Tax Department and navigate to the ‘Quick Links’ section.
- Then click on the ‘Instant e-PAN’ option and select ‘Get new e-PAN’.
- Enter your Aadhaar number to receive an OTP that will be sent to your registered Aadhaar mobile number.
- The next step involves you verifying all important details like your name, date of birth, email address etc.
- Then simply click on the ‘Submit’ option so that your request can be processed.
- You will be able to download your e-PAN card from the portal itself once your request is processed. That’s all the necessary steps you need to take for a successful online PAN card apply process.
Step For Applying for a PAN Card via the NSDL/UTIITSL Website
- Visit the NSDL/UTIITSL website, the only entity appointed by the Government for online PAN card application.
- There are two separate forms to apply for PAN services for Indian citizens and NRI citizens, choose the correct form accordingly.
- Choose the applicant category – Individual, Company, Trust, etc.
- Fill in all the important Aadhaar card details along with name, date of birth, income source(if required), email, etc.
- Upload all the necessary documents like identity proof, address proof, date of birth proof etc for the application process.
- You need to pay an application fee for which you can make an online payment. The fee can differ for Indian and NRI citizens.
- Review all the details and submit your form to receive the acknowledgement number.
- Once verification is done, your PAN card will be available for download or sent to your location as per the method you have chosen.
Documents Required For PAN Card
- Identity Proof – You can use an Aadhaar card, a Voter ID, a Passport, a Driving License or a Ration Card for this.
- Address Proof – Again, your Aadhaar card, Passport, Latest electricity bill, Bank statement, property tax bill or registration document will work for this.
- Date of Birth Proof – Birth Certificate, Aadhaar card, matriculation certificate, Domicile certificate which is issued by the Government, pension payment order etc will work.
- Registration Certificate – This document is only required for companies, firms, HUFs or Associations of Persons.
Conclusion
The online process of applying for a PAN card has made it relatively easy for people to make a new PAN card or make changes/updates to their existing ones. The process is not only faster, paperless and smoother, but also extremely easy with no need to stand in long queues and wait for your turn. Individuals can either apply online through the Income Tax Department portal or through the NSDL/UTIITSL website. However, out of these, getting instant e-PAN via the Income Tax Department portal is more convenient as it is free of cost.