PAN card, i.e. Permanent Account Number or PAN Card, is an important part of your financial identity, but if it becomes inactive, you may face many problems, such as banking transactions, income tax return filing or other financial work may stop. The biggest reason for PAN becoming inactive is the lack of link between PAN and Aadhaar, but now you can easily check whether your PAN is active or not. And yes, you do not even need to leave the house to check it.
Check PAN status like this sitting at home
Now you can find out whether your PAN card is active or not by following some easy steps on the Income Tax Department website.
- First of all go to the website of Income Tax Department https://www.incometax.gov.in/iec/foportal/.
- Click on “Verify PAN Status” in the “Quick Links” section on the left.
- After this a new page will open, where you will have to fill your PAN number, full name, date of birth and registered mobile number.
- Click on “Continue”.
- An OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number, enter it on the website and click on “Validate”.
- If your PAN is active, the message will appear on the screen: “PAN is Active and details are as per PAN.”
Reasons for PAN being inactive
These could be the reasons behind your PAN card being inactive:
- There is no link between PAN and Aadhaar.
- A person having more than one PAN card.
- PAN cards issued on the basis of fake identities.
What to do if PAN becomes inactive?
If the PAN card has become inactive, then you will have to apply to the Income Tax Department to get it activated. For this:
- Include a copy of the PAN card which you used to file income tax return.
- Draw up an indemnity bond in favour of the Income Tax Department.
- Attach copies of income tax returns of the last three years.
- Send all this to the Assessment Officer (AO) of your area. If the application is found correct, your PAN will be activated within 15-30 days.
