New PAN card applicants can download e-PAN for free. Here’s how
NEW DELHI: Apparently taking a cue from UIDAI’s Aadhaar card, the Income Tax department now allows PAN card holders to use both soft and hard copies as identity proofs. According to an order issued by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), both e-PAN (electronically issued PAN cards) and physical PAN cards are to be treated at par.
Currently, two bodies – NSDL-TIN (National Securities Depository Limited) and UTI-ITSL (UTI Infrastructure Technology And Services Limited) are authorised by the income tax department to issue PAN cards. Both the agencies allow PAN card holders to download e-PANs from their websites.
Those who have applied for a fresh PAN card are allowed to download their e-PAN free of cost while others will have to pay a nominal charge of ₹8.26.
How to download e-PAN from UTI-ITSL:
All those who had applied for a fresh PAN or made a change in their PAN card details through UTI-ITSL can download a PDF of their e-PAN card from here by sharing their PAN and date of birth. PAN card holders who will get the link for downloading their e-PAN in PDF form from this website absolutely free of cost only if their e-PAN was issued within last one month’s time on their fresh PAN application or their change/correction request.
Applicants will be sent a link to their phone and email id along with an OTP to download e-PAN. The link can be used only three times and that too within the one month period.
How to download e-PAN from NSDL-TIN:
Similarly, NSDL too allows all applicants in the last 30 days to download e-PAN for free from its website. PAN applicants will have to give the acknowledgement number of the PAN card application to download the e-PAN.
