How to Check Pan Card Status Online?

What is the Need for PAN? The One Document Every Indian Needs

A PAN card is an essential document required for various day-to-day tasks. Let us explore the need for a PAN card:

For Filing Income Tax Returns

If you are an Indian resident with taxable income, you must file an income tax return annually. PAN is a mandatory field in the income tax return form.

For Opening a Bank Account

To open a bank account in India, you must provide your PAN number. This is because PAN helps the bank identify and track your financial transactions.

For Buying or Selling Immovable Property

If you buy or sell immovable property in India, you must provide your PAN number. It helps the government in tracking the transfer of property and preventing tax evasion.

For Making Investments

You must provide the PAN if you are investing in mutual funds, shares, or life insurance. This is to keep a track of your investments and ensure the right taxation.

For Applying for a Loan

If you apply for a bank loan, you must provide your PAN number. It is because PAN helps the lender to assess your creditworthiness and to track your repayments.

Step-by-Step: Track PAN Card Status on Protean (NSDL)

You can apply online for a PAN on the websites of NSDL or UTIITSL. Both have been granted permission by the Indian government to issue PANs or to change or correct PANs on behalf of the ITD (Income Tax Department).

Follow these steps to check NSDL PAN status online:

• Go to the NSDL website and select the “Form 49A (New PAN Indian Citizen)” application.
• Carefully read the instructions on the form and fill in all the required information.
• Pay the application fee. The fee amount depends on how you want your PAN card delivered. You can pay by credit/debit card, demand draft, or net banking.
• You will receive a PAN card acknowledgment number once you have successfully paid the fee. This number will allow you to check the status of your application online or via email.
• Send the required documents through courier or post to the NSDL office in Pune. Your PAN card will be processed once the documents have been received.
• Once the NSDL has verified your application and documents, it will issue your PAN card within 15 days.

Checking the Status of Your Online Application

Whether you applied through Protean or UTIITSL, knowing how to check PAN card status online involves a few steps. Let us walk through them in detail.

Keep Your Acknowledgment Number Handy

The moment you submit a PAN application, whether online or at a physical facilitation center, you receive a 15-digit acknowledgment number. This number is essential for checking your PAN card status online. Hence, make sure you keep it safe and easily accessible.

Visit the Official Website

To proceed with the PAN card application check, you need to visit the official Protean portal at tin.tin.nsdl.com. You must avoid third-party aggregator websites that mimic these portals.

Navigate to the PAN Card Status Page

On the Protean portal, look for the “Know Status of PAN/TAN Application” link on the homepage. Click on this option to proceed.

Enter Your Details

You have to enter certain details on the PAN card status page. These details may include:

• The acknowledgment number you received when applying for the PAN card
• Your full name as mentioned in the PAN card application
• Your date of birth as per the application

To verify that you are a real user and not a bot, the portal will ask you to verify via a CAPTCHA code.

Submit Your Details

Once you have entered all the required details, you must carefully review them. After thoroughly checking all the details, click the “Submit” or “Check Status” button.

View Your PAN Card Status

After you click on submit, the portal provides your application status immediately. Now, what you see on that screen can mean very different things. Here are the possible statuses:

• Application Under Process: Your application has reached the Income Tax Department, but they are still working through it.
• Dispatched: It means your PAN card has been approved, printed, and handed over to the courier. The portal will usually display a consignment number alongside this status.
• Invalid Acknowledgment Number: This will appear when the system could not match your input to any existing application. You should go back and re-enter your acknowledgment number.
• Not Available: It either means your status is not accessible at that moment, or the portal is experiencing a technical glitch on their end.

Additional Actions

If your PAN card status shows that it has been dispatched, you can track the delivery through the courier service’s website using the tracking number provided. It usually takes a few days to receive the physical PAN card after it has been dispatched.

How to Check PAN Card Status on UTIITSL Portal?

UTI Infrastructure Technology and Services Limited (UTIITSL) is another authorized body for PAN issuance. If you want to check for PAN card status via UTIITSL, here is how to proceed:

• Step 1: Visit https://www.trackpan.utiitsl.com/PANONLINE/.
• Step 2: Enter your 15-digit application coupon number (equivalent to the acknowledgment number on the Protean portal).
• Step 3: Enter your date of birth or date of incorporation for businesses.
• Step 4: Enter the CAPTCHA code and click “Submit”.

The result page will reflect where your application currently stands. If the PAN has been generated and dispatched, UTIITSL usually shows the dispatch date and the courier tracking number as well.

How to Track Instant e-PAN Card Status by Aadhaar Number?

Tracking instant e-PAN status by Aadhaar number is as simple as following some easy steps. If you applied through this route, you do not need an acknowledgment number to track PAN card application status online. Here is how to track the status of your instant e-PAN card application using your Aadhaar number:

• Visit the Income Tax e-filing website https://www.incometax.gov.in/iec/foportal/.
• Click on “Instant e-PAN” or access it directly through a link provided on the website (the specific location might change).
• Under the “Check Status/ Download PAN” option, click on “Continue”.
• Enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number and proceed by clicking “Continue”.
• You will likely be prompted to enter a One-Time Password (OTP) received on your mobile number registered with Aadhaar.
• Once you enter the OTP and click “Continue”, your PAN card status will be displayed on the screen.

One important thing to note here: your Aadhaar and PAN should be linked for seamless tax operations. This is where understanding how to link Aadhaar and PAN card becomes relevant. You can do this directly on the Income Tax Portal under “Link Aadhaar”; all you need is your PAN, Aadhaar number, and the name as it appears on Aadhaar.

Track PAN Card Application Status on Call and Through SMS

You can track the status of your regular PAN card application (not Instant e-PAN) by calling the Tax Information Network (TIN) call center:

• Phone number: 020-27218080
• Availability: 7 days a week from 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM

For this method, you will need to provide your 15-digit acknowledgment number received during the application process.

If you applied for your PAN card through NSDL (now Protean), you can track the status using SMS after 3 days of applying. You just have to type “NSDL PAN” followed by your 15-digit acknowledgment number and send the SMS to 57575. You will receive an SMS response with the status of your PAN card application.

How to Apply for a New/Duplicate PAN Card?

The process of applying for a new or duplicate PAN card is quite simple. You need to follow these simple steps:

Through NSDL

If your original PAN card application was processed through NSDL or you obtained an instant e-PAN, you can reprint it online using Aadhaar for authentication.

Through UTIITSL

Applying through UTIITSL allows you to reprint your PAN card directly through their website if your original application was processed by them.

Do note that once you apply, you can use the methods described above to check PAN card application status.

Wrapping Up

A PAN card is an indispensable document for all Indian taxpayers, holding significant importance in various financial transactions and activities. This step-by-step guide will help you through the process of applying for a PAN card online and tracking its status. Remember, keeping your acknowledgment number safe is pivotal, as it allows you to access and monitor the progress of your application. The official website of the Income Tax Department serves as a reliable platform to review the status of your PAN card application, providing real-time PAN card update status.

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