Lok Sabha Question No. 249 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-03
Subject: PAN and TAN CARDS
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: RAM CHARITRA, NAGARAJAN P., GOPALAKRISHNAN CHINNARAJ

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO: 249 TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 3 RD  FEBRUARY, 2017

14, MAGHA, 1938  (SAKA)

## PAN AND TAN CARDS

## 249. SHRI RAM CHARITRA NISHAD: SHRI P. NAGARAJAN: DR. C. GOPALAKRISHNAN:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  formulated  any  mechanism  for  allotment  of  Permanent Account  Number  (PAN)  and  Tax  Deduction  Account  Number  (TAN)  and  if  so,  the details thereof;
- (b) the time taken by the Government for allotment of PAN and TAN after completion of online applications;
- (c) whether PAN applicants can use Aadhaar based e-sign in form submission and if so, the details thereof along with the total number of PAN and TAN numbers allotted as per the said procedure as on date; and
- (d)      whether the newly designed PAN card are tamper proof and if so, the details thereof along with the cost of the newly designed PAN card?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI SANTOSH KUMAR GANGWAR)

- (a) The procedure is prescribed in Rule 114 of the Income Tax Rules, 1962 and mandates filling of Form 49A for Indian Citizens and Entities formed in India. Rule 114 also prescribes furnishing  of  specified  documents  of  proofs  for  Identity,  Address  and  Date  of  Birth.  PAN applications are made available to the general public through two Service Providers, namely M/s. NSDL eGov and M/s. UTIITSL and can be submitted using the online facility of these service providers also. PAN Applications are also received at more than 17000 PAN Centres managed by service providers spread across the country whose addresses are displayed on the website of the service providers.

For ease of making application, the following new initiatives have been taken:

1. PAN allotment system of Income Tax Department has been integrated with MCA portal of Ministry of Corporate Affairs for faster allotment of PAN and TAN.  Under the new process PAN  and  TAN  are  allotted  at  the  time  of  incorporation  of  a  new  company  on  the  basis  of combined on-line application form available through MCA portal.

2. Paperless  online  PAN  application  can  be  made  through  the  websites  of  the  service providers using Digital Signature Certificate(DSC) or Aadhaar based e Signature.
3. PAN Camps are held by the service providers at semi-urban and rural locations for easy access;
4. PAN applications can be submitted in rural areas at authorised Common Service Centres (CSCs);
5.        A new process of PAN application using Aadhaar based eKYC and eSignature has also been launched recently.

(b)      A Turn Around Time (TAT) of 7-8 days is prescribed for allotment of PAN and TAN after  receipt  of  completed  PAN application at the level of PAN service providers M/s. NSDL eGov and M/s. UTIITSL.

(c)        Yes Madam, on-line paperless PAN application facility using Aadhaar based e-KYC & e-Signature is available through the website of PAN service provider M/s. NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure  Limited  (NSDL  e-Gov).  Facility  of  on-line  paperless  PAN  applications  through Aadhaar  based  e-Signature  is  also  available  through  website  of  M/s.  UTI  Infrastructure Technology and Services Limited (UTIITSL).

Facility of Aadhaar based e-Signature is not yet available for on-line TAN applications. However,  facility  of  on-line  TAN  application  through  Digital  Signature  is  available  for  use through website of NSDL e-Gov.

As  on  31.1.2017,  85,351  PAN  applications  have  been  filed  using  Aadhaar  based  e-KYC/eSignature  for  which  PANs  have  been  allotted.  Overall,  more  than  25  crore  PANs  have  been allotted so far.

(d) Yes Madam, PAN cards are printed material similar to that used for printing of credit cards with a hologram to curb chances of any tampering. Recently, a newly-improved design of PAN card has been introduced with machine readable QR-Code (Quick Response code) and in the  newly  designed  PAN  card,  static  information  has  been  provided  in  bilingual  form.  Also, words 'Permanent Account Number Card' have been displayed prominently.

There  is  no  change  in  approved  PAN  application  fee  which  is  fixed  at  Rs.  93/-  plus applicable taxes.

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