A step-by-step guide to apply for PAN using Form 49A, check all details

A permanent account number (PAN) is a ten-digit alphanumeric number issued by the Income Tax Department to any “person” who applies for it or to whom the Income Tax Department allots the number without an application.

A PAN enables the department to link all transactions of the “person” with the department, keeps an eye on every transaction done by the individual, and records it. It acts as an identifier for the “person” with the tax department.

The transactions include tax payments, TDS/TCS credits, returns of income/wealth/gift/FBT, specified transactions, correspondence, and so on.

It was introduced to facilitate the linking of various documents, including payment of taxes, assessments, tax demands, tax arrears, etc. relating to an assessee, to facilitate easy retrieval of information and to facilitate matching of information relating to investment, raising of loans, and other business activities of taxpayers collected through various sources, both internal and external, for detecting and combating tax evasion and widening of the tax base.
In any interactions with any income tax authorities and on income returns, it is important to include PAN.

It comprises of 10 digits and is made up of a combination of numbers and letters, such as ABCPK7190K:

First three characters i.e. “ABC” in the above PAN are alphabetic series running from AAA to ZZZ

Fourth character of PAN i.e. “P” in the above PAN represents the status of the PAN holder i.e. “P” stands for Individual, “F” stands for Firm, “C” stands for Company, “H” stands for HUF, “A” stands for AOP, “T” stands for TRUST etc

Fifth character i.e. “K” in the above PAN represents first character of the PAN holder’s last name/surname.

Next four characters i.e. “7190” in the above PAN are sequential number running from 0001 to 9999.

Last character i.e. “K” in the above PAN is an alphabetic check digit.

PAN quotations on challans for any payments owed to the Income Tax Department are now required as of January 1, 2005.

Below are the details about how to apply for a PAN using Form 49A: Before that, let's understand what form 49A actually is:

Also, before applying, one must know that a person who is 18 and above can only apply for a PAN card in India.

What is Form 49A?

According to the Income Tax Department, Form 49A is a crucial document required for applying for a PAN card in India.

It collects essential details about the applicant, such as name, address, date of birth, and contact number. It is mandatory for individuals and entities to fill out this form accurately to obtain a PAN card.

Form 49A should be the only form used for PAN applications.

Form 49A, the PAN application form, can be downloaded from the Income Tax Department's website, UTIISL's website, or NSDL's website (www.incometaxindia.gov.in, www.utiisl.co.in, or www.nsdl.com).

It can also be printed locally, photocopied (on A4 size 70 GSM paper), or obtained from any other source. The form can also be found at TIN facilitation centers and IT PAN service centers.

From where to obtain Form 49A?

The PAN application may be made on Form 49A obtained from any source other than IT PAN Service Centers or TIN Facilitation Centers.

For instance, a PAN application may be made on a form downloaded from the website of the Income Tax Department, UTIISL, or NSDL, or on a form printed by local printers or a photocopy of the downloaded or printed form.

Which documents need to be submitted along with Form 49A?

Individual applicants will have to affix one recent, colored photograph (stamp size: 3.5 cm x 2.5 cm) to Form 49A.

Any document listed in Rule 114 must be supplied as proof of ‘Identity’ and ‘Address’.

The designation and code of the concerned Assessing Officer of the Income Tax Department will have to be mentioned in Form 49A.

What happens if you submit an incomplete Form 49A?

IT PAN Service Centers or TIN Facilitation Centers shall not receive any incomplete or deficient PAN applications.

However, these centers will assist applicants in correctly filling out Form 49A, or ‘Request for a New PAN Card or/and Changes in PAN Data‘, as the case may be.

In order to improve PAN-related services, the Income Tax Department has authorized UTI Investor Services Ltd.

(UTIISL) to set up and manage IT PAN Service Centers in all cities or towns where there is an Income Tax office and National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) to dispense PAN services from TIN Facilitation Centers.