PAN Card Verification

 PAN Card Verification used to be an open source database available both in Income Tax Websites, as well as in various tax related websites, up until last year. However, due to its potential of large scale misuse, Income Tax Department has now made the procedure accessible only to authenticated users such as Banks, Loan Lending Institutions, Government Bodies, and various such interest groups.

These types of users typically have genuine requirement to check-out the authenticity of the PAN Card Details submitted to them.

The Procedure in place now for online PAN card verification

As a first step the agencies desirous of checking the authenticity of PAN Card should get themselves registered with NSDL PAN WEBSITE. http://tin.nsdl.com/onlinepanintro.asp

• Agencies that are eligible for this facility are – Entities who can avail of this facility:
• Government Agencies (Central/State)
• Reserve Bank of India
• Banks
• Depositories
• Depository Participants
• Mutual Funds
• Companies (Required to furnish Annual Information Return)
• Credit card Companies / Institutions
• Any other entity required to furnish Annual Information Return
• Stock Exchanges
• Companies and Government deductor (Required to file TDS/TCS return)

Charges Applicable for PAN card Verification

• Service Tax will be applicable on the above charges.

Pan card Verification Charges: Details

• The registered entities will have to pay a basic charge of Rs.1000/- Per Month Per User ID for the service.
• This basic charge will be paid in advance for 12 months at the time of registration.
• All registered users (except software based users) will have access to screen based query with a restriction of 750 PANs per day per user Id.
• Before the end of the 12th month, the entity should effect payment for the next 12 months for continuation of the service.
• For file based verification, there will be an additional charge of Rs.75 per file uploaded which may have a maximum of 200 PANs.
• For software based PAN verifications there will be a charge of 37.5 Paise per PAN in addition to the basic charge of Rs. 1,000 p.m. Verification of 750 PANs per day will not be charged.
• The entities who intend to use file based verification or software based verification facility will have to pay an advance of Rs.5000 which will have to be replenished after the same has been exhausted.
• This service will be available only if there is available balance under the user Id.
• If the specified payment has not been paid by any user, NSDL may discontinue the service of such users.
• Service Tax will be applicable on all the above charges.
• The above charges are non-refundable. Only in case where the registration is rejected by ITD the registration charges will be refunded.

Pre-Requisite for PAN card verification

The entity must have a Digital Signature Certificate (Class II or Class III) from any of the licensed Certifying Authorities specified below for the purpose of digitally signing the application and the files uploaded online. Essentially, it is a digital certificate that comprises of unique combination of numbers and alphabets, and this will have to be updated into the entities’ web browser. There are close to 2 dozen agencies that have been authorized to issue such certificate.

The list is available in the NSDL PAN WEBSITE. http://tin.nsdl.com/onlinepanintro.asp

Authorization of the registration seeking entity / Agency

Registration of an Entity is subject to approval by ITD. NSDL will forward the registration request of the Entity to ITD only on receipt of duly filled and signed documents (registration form, terms and conditions, authorization letter), realization of payment, successful verification of TAN / PAN details (details mentioned in registration with TAN/ PAN master), DSC details. On successful authorization, an eight digit user id will be provided to the Entity. Authorization status and details will be communicated by email. The registration charges will be refunded only if ITD rejects the registration request.

Upon successful authorization, the agency, which has sought and obtained the clearance to undertake large-scale PAN Number Verifications can now go ahead and conduct the operations.

This also makes it clear that PAN Card Verification is not open to the general public, which was the case sometime ago.