E-PAN Card Eligibility – Application Process Guide

The Income tax department introduced the PAN (Personal Account Number) as a system for uniquely identifying and storing the records of income taxpayers. The PAN number is alphanumeric and has a unique combination of alphabets and numbers that are unique for each individual. The alphabets denote important details ever since its inception in 1972 and were made mandatory four years later. All PAN card numbers and details of allottees were maintained manually until the new Permanent Account Number card system was introduced in 1995. 

The Permanent Account Number card holds other vital information about the allottee, such as the date of birth and the father’s name. The presence of the date of birth makes the PAN (Permanent Account Number) card an important age-proof document.

The first three letters are random, the fourth letter denotes the level of the taxpayer, and the fifth letter denotes the first letter of the surname of the cardholder. The PAN card has become an important ID proof and is one of the five important KYC (Know your customer) documents, including the Aadhaar card, passport, driving license, and voter ID card. The PAN (Permanent Account Number) card is mostly required for different types of applications and registrations. The different places where the PAN card is required include:

The importance of E E-PAN (Permanent Account Number) card

The E-PAN (Permanent Account Number) card is a very important document and a must for everyone. This is the single most frequently required document and is required for almost all financial transactions. Whether a person buys land, a home, a car or even applies to register a business, the PAN card is a must. Some of the important uses where a PAN (Permanent Account Number) card is required are:  

1. Filing of income tax returns and any query related to taxation : Since PAN is issued by the Income Tax Department, this is an imperative document associated with filing taxes
2. For residential proof : PAN is an accepted form of document to prove residence proof as it is government issued, contains all the relevant details, and has wide use cases
3. For land and home registration : Since there is a financial transaction involved in the property registration, the same needs to go on income tax departments records for their assessment, hence PAN is an important required document for such scenarios
4. For the opening of bank accounts and loan application : Bank accounts are used for lot of financial transactions, and has a possible scope of money laundering, hence to enable the income tax department and relevant authority to track transactions, PAN is required to open and operate a bank account
5. For telephone and postpaid mobile bills : Since PAN has cardholder’s photo, name, and signature, and since it is also issued by a government agency, it is used as a valid identification proof, hence it can be used for registering for telephone and postpaid connections
6. For LPG connections : Just like telephone connections, since PAN has cardholder’s photo, name, and signature, and since it is also issued by a government agency, it is used as a valid identification proof
7. For buying and registering SIM cards : Since PAN is used as a valid identification proof for registering for a SIM
8. For business and financial transactions : Considering the fact that financial transactions can be involved in money laundering and illegal activities, also it is the cornerstone to assess the profits or loss, this makes using PAN absolutely essential for enabling the agencies to do their assessment
9. For buying Insurance, mutual funds, and equity shares : All the activities like buying insurance, mutual funds, and equity shares among other financial instruments attract income tax, and are financial in nature, makes PAN essential to do such transactions

Evolution of the PAN Card

The new E PAN (Permanent Account Number) card has evolved to have a biometric color photo of the cardholder and a QR code that can be scanned for verification purposes. The primary need for this new E-PAN (Permanent Account Number) card was to reduce the waiting time for the issue of Permanent Account Number cards and to clear the backlog. 

 The E-PAN (Permanent Account Number) card facility is available on the UTIITSL (UTI infrastructure and technology limited) site and is for first-time applicants only. In other words, the PAN (Permanent Account Number) card can be applied for by a person not already having a PAN number.

Eligibility to apply for an E PAN card

• Any individual above the age of 18 years can apply for an E-PAN (Permanent Account Number) card.. There is no upper age limit.
• A person with an Aadhaar card is eligible to apply for an E-Permanent Account Number card
• The applicant requires to have Indian citizenship. An NRI is also eligible to apply. 
• Companies and Hindu undivided families are also eligible to apply for an E-Permanent Account Number card and require the necessary documents at the time of application.

Documents Required to apply for an E-PAN (Permanent Account Number) card

• The documents required for applying for an E-PAN (Permanent Account Number) card are
• Copies of Aadhaar card, passport (if available), voter ID Card, and ration card with a photograph of the applicant.
• An original copy of the certificate of identity and verification from the bank to certify the bank account number of the applicant,
• A hard copy of the pensioner’s certificate,
• A certificate of identity in a prescribed format signed either by a member of parliament, MLA, or a gazetted officer.

Steps to apply for an E PAN card

• The first step toward applying for an E-PAN (Permanent Account Number) card is to have the necessary documents ready and read the procedure for applying for the E-PAN (Permanent Account Number) card. The next step is to access the ETIISTL website and create a login ID with a password. Once the ID and password are accepted, the application process can begin, and the status of the submitted application can also be checked.
• After the site home page opens, there will be an icon marked “Permanent Account Number card as an Indian citizen/ NRI. The applicant will need to click this icon.
• The next icon to be selected from the next menu that opens up is the icon marked “Apply for a new Permanent Account Number card”.  
• There will be two options with the application for a new card. The first is for both the hard copy and the E-PAN (Permanent Account Number) card. The second option is for the e-card only. Most people prefer to select the first option.
• At this stage, personal details from the Aadhaar card need to be filled in. 
• The next stage involves clicking the acknowledge button and then uploading a signature. The signature requires a 200dpi resolution with a max 10KB size, or the uploaded signature will not be accepted.
• Once the signature is successfully uploaded, the applicant can click the submit button. A 15-digit acknowledgment number will be generated. The applicant is required to make a note of this number for use in future transactions E-PAN (Permanent Account Number) card is successfully generated.
• A nominal fee of Rs 93 is required to be paid online, and the Permanent Account Number card will be delivered will be delivered to the registered permanent address of the applicant within 15 days. Overseas NRI citizens need to pay an amount of Rs 864. 
• The application can be made offline as well as by going to an authorized PAN center, getting the application form, and submitting the filled form with all the required documents and fees.

Steps to check the status of the E-PAN (Permanent Account Number) card

• The first step is to go to the official website of the UTIISTL app  – https://www.pan.utiitsl.com/
• The next step is to select the application type from the drop-down menu. 
• The portal will ask for the coupon or acknowledgment number provided during the E-PAN (Permanent Account Number) card application time. This is entered, and the “submit” application needs to be clicked.
• The status of the E-PAN (Permanent Account Number) card application will be displayed or sent to the registered email ID of the applicant.

For those who have applied for an E-PAN (Permanent Account Number) card from the income tax portal, the process for checking the status of the application of the E-PAN (Permanent Account Number) card is as follows:

• The applicant needs to access the income tax portal – http://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in./
• The applicant next needs to select the option “Instant E PAN through Aadhaar”  
• On the next web page that opens, the applicant will need to select “Check the status of PAN“
• The applicant must fill in the aadhaar number, enter the captcha alphabets and numerals, and click the enter button.
• The applicant will then receive an OTP on his or her registered mobile. Once the OTP is entered, the status of the E PAN application will be displayed.

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