Obtaining a card is really important, but for that you must know how to apply for a PAN card. In India, applying and getting a PAN card is pretty easy, which is quite surprising because things rarely happen so smoothly in India!
But fortunately PAN card application process is an exception to this and this may be because the process can be started both online and offline.
Before starting the application process you need to make sure that you have the required details in order. These are the details which need to be furnished in/along with your PAN application:
- Your full name
- Your Fathers name (which needs to provided even by married women)
- Accurate date of birth
- The addresses of your office as well as residence
- The main source of income (salary/ business etc)
- Proof of identity and address
- One recent color passport sized photo.
The following documents are accepted as proof of identity and address while applying for PAN card:
- Credit card, bank statement or the first page of your bank pass book.
- Passport, voter identity card, driver’s license or ration card
- School leaving certificate, water and phone bills etc, can also be used as separate proofs of identity and address.
Once these documents and details are in order, you can take the next step and log on to tin.tin.nsdl.com/pan for completing the application online. Fill out the PAN application form and submit the same online. You will then receive an acknowledgement number for your submission immediately.
You need to take a print-out of this acknowledgement slip and paste a color passport size photo of yourself on it. Sign at relevant places and send the completed slip, one proof of address and identity to the Income Tax PAN Services Unit in Pune. Do not forget to pay an application processing fee of INR 67 by credit or debit card, prior to mailing the documents. Your PAN application process is complete!
In case you are a non-resident Indian (NRI), application for PAN has to be done through you representative asssessee, who must be an individual residing in and paying his taxes in India. Very recently however, rules have been made which allows an NRI to apply for a PAN by using their foreign address. For NRI’s who are also foreign citizens, all documents furnished must be attested by the Indian embassy in their country of residence. Once you have applied for PAN, you can easily verify the processing status too.