What does the characters on a Pan Card in India means?

What is a PAN CARD?
Permanent Account Number (PAN) refers to a ten-digit alphanumeric number, issued in the form of a laminated card, by the Income Tax Department in India.


What does the characters on a Pan Card in India means?
PAN Number is a 10 digit alpha numeric number, where the first 5 characters are letters, the next 4 numbers and the last one a letter again. These 10 characters can be divided in five parts as can be seen below. The meaning of each number has been explained further.













1. First three characters are alphabetic series running from AAA to ZZZ
2. Fourth character of PAN represents the status of the PAN holder.
• C — Company
• P — Person
• H — HUF(Hindu Undivided Family)
• F — Firm
• A — Association of Persons (AOP)
• T — AOP (Trust)
• B — Body of Individuals (BOI)
• L — Local Authority
• J — Artificial Juridical Person
• G — Government
3. Fifth character represents first character of the PAN holder’s last name/surname.
4. Next four characters are sequential number running from 0001 to 9999.
5. Last character in the PAN is an alphabetic check digit.


Nowadays, the DOI (Date of Issue) of PAN card is mentioned at the right (vertical) hand side of the photo on the PAN card.


Where I can apply a Pan Card online?

The apply PAN card form should be opted for only when the applicant has never made any such application before, and does not already have a PAN card. To confirm if there is PAN card allotted or not, one may visit the UTIITSL website.


Apply for a new pan card on the official website here : http://www.utitsl.co.in/utitsl/uti/newapp/new-pan-application.jsp


Know your PAN card status :
The PAN Card application status can be known for a new or reprinted PAN card or a corrected PAN Card application using the fifteen-digit, exclusive number of acknowledgment three days subsequent to the application. 


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