Mumbai, July 2: The Income Tax department has launched an 'instant' Aadhaar-based PAN allotment service for individuals seeking to obtain the PAN card for the first time. According to a PTI report, the IT department has said that this facility is free of cost and instant allotment of e-PAN is available only for a limited period on the first-come-first-serve basis for valid Aadhaar holders. According to the report, the new facility has been launched keeping in mind, the increasing number of people who are applying for their PAN card for the tax matters. As per senior official quoted in the report, this is one more initiative that leverages the Aadhaar database to quickly disburse /allot a government service.

How to Apply for Instant Aadhar Based PAN?

  • The process can be done at the official portal of the department --https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in.

  • The new PAN, obtained by this mechanism, will have the same name, date of birth, gender, mobile number and address that is present in the individual's Aadhaar. There is no need to submit any documents.

  • A fresh PAN will be allotted on the basis of a one-time password (OTP) sent over the "active mobile number" that is linked with the valid Aadhaar number of a person.

  • Once, the e-KYC is successful based on the Aadhaar OTP, the process of e-PAN application will be initiated.

  • You will also need to upload a scanned copy of your signature on a white paper with the specifications given on the income tax website.

  • On completion of the process, a 15-digit acknowledgement number will be generated and sent to your mobile number/ email mentioned in the application form.

  • The e-PAN facility is only for resident individuals and not for Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), firms, trusts and companies etc.

The deadline for the PAN-Aadhaar linking has been extended till March 31, 2019, by Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). This is the fifth time that there is an extension in the deadline for individuals to link their PAN to their biometric ID. According to Section 139 AA (2) of the Income Tax Act, every person having PAN as on July 1, 2017, and eligible to obtain Aadhaar, must intimate his Aadhaar number to the tax authorities.

While Aadhaar is issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) PAN, on the other hand, is a 10-digit alphanumeric number allotted by the I-T department to a person, firm or entity.

(With inputs from PTI)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 02, 2018 11:41 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).