A Permanent Account Number or PAN is a 10-digit unique identification alphanumeric number used to identify a taxpayer in India. All tax-related information of a person is regarded against this number, which acts as a primary key to store the information. No two people can have the same number.
A PAN card, a physical card which contains the taxpayer's name, date of birthday, and photograph, is also allotted by the Income Tax Department whenever a PAN is issued. Your PAN Card is valid for lifetime because it is unaffected by any change in address.
Losing a PAN card can be extremely troublesome in the short run. However, a PAN is unique to an individual and a duplicate copy can be applied for online via the National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL).
Here's how you can find your PAN online:
- Visit incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/home and click on ‘Know Your PAN’
- Fill in the details asked for and ‘Submit’
- Enter the OTP sent on the mobile number
- Click on ‘Validate’. In the corresponding screen, the PAN, name, jurisdiction etc are displayed
How to apply for duplicate PAN:
- Log on to the website onlineservices.nsdl.com
- Select services and click on the PAN option
- Click on 'Apply' under reprint of PAN card
- Fill the form and mention information including Permanent account number, email id, mobile number, etc. Aadhaar number can be used for auto-update of address
- Select the mode of submission. One can submit digitally through e-KYC and e-sign
- Make the required payment through net banking. debit/credit card or demand draft
- A 15-digit acknowledgment number will be generated on submission. This can be used to track the status of the PAN application