Permanent Account
Number
Permanent Account
Number (PAN) refers to a ten-digit alphanumeric number, issued in the form of a
laminated card, by the Income Tax Department in India. It is a must to have a
PAN number for all those who file their income tax returns, because from 2005 onwards,
it has been made mandatory by the Income Tax Department to quote the PAN on
return of income as well as on all correspondence with any income tax authority
in the country.
Also, it is now
compulsory to quote PAN in all documents pertaining to financial transactions
notified from time to time by the Central Board of Direct Taxes, such as sale
and purchase of immovable property or motor vehicle or payments in cash, of
amounts exceeding a certain limit to hotels and restaurants, or in connection
with travel to any foreign country. It is also mandatory to mention PAN for
obtaining a telephone or cellular telephone connection. Likewise, PAN has to be
mentioned for making a time deposit exceeding Rs. 50,000/- with a Bank or Post
Office or for depositing cash of Rs. 50,000/- or more in a Bank.
How to apply for a
PAN ?
The Income Tax
Department has ensured that applying for a PAN is a simple and convenient
procedure. All you need to do is submit the requisite Application Form No. 49A. The PAN application
can also be downloaded from the website of UTI Investor Services Ltd (the
authorised agency to manage IT PAN service Centres in various cities) or from
the website of National Securities Depository Ltd (NSDL) or printed by local
printers or photocopied (on A4 size 70 GSM paper) or obtained from any other
source. The form is also available at IT PAN Service Centres and TIN
Facilitation Centres.
You will need
a recent colour photograph (stamp size: 3.5 cm x 2.5
cm) to attach on the form. You must mention the designation and code
of the concerned Assessing Officer of the Income Tax department in Form 49A.
You can get this from the IT PAN Service Centres mentioned in the websites
listed above. Also, the application shall have to be accompanied by a proof of
identity as well as a proof of residence.
The filled
application form has to be submitted at your nearest IT PAN Service Centre or
TIN Facilitation Centre along with the requisite fee. The location of such
centres can be searched online by using the facility given below :
·
IT
PAN Service Centres
·
TIN
Facilitation Centres
Applications for
fresh allotment of PAN can also be submitted through the Net. Further, requests
for changes or correction in PAN data or a request for a new PAN card
(for an existing PAN) may also be made through the Internet. For more
details visit http://www.tin-nsdl.com. If an application for allotment of PAN
is submitted through the Internet and payment made through a 'nominated' credit
card, the PAN is allotted on priority and communicated through email.
For more information, visit the FAQ section on Permanent Account Number on the
Income Tax Department website.
Pancard application form
