10 Digit PAN Card Number Meaning – Understand the Code (2020)

Ever wondered why there is a 10 digit alpha-numeric code on your PAN Card number?

Do you know, the 10 digit PAN Card number has a meaning & how much of it reveals your personal information?

Want to know the structure of PAN Card & On what basis a part of that code is generated?

Hint: Some characters of that code are generated based on your personal details.

In this article, I’ll tell you about what a PAN card is & structure of the pan card number code & how to understand the details.

Note : Please use the contents box below to skip a sub-topic.

What is a PAN Card?

‘PAN’ short for ‘Permanent Account Number‘ what has a unique ten-digit alphanumeric number for every person. PAN Card is issued in the form of a laminated card, by the Income Tax Department, to any person who applies for it or to whom the department allots the number without an application.

PAN enables the income tax department to link all transactions of the “person” with the department. These transactions include tax payments, TDS/TCS credits, returns of income/wealth/gift/FBT, specified transactions, correspondence, and so on. PAN, thus, acts as an identifier for the “person” with the tax department.

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Who should have a PAN Card?

1. All existing assesses or taxpayers or persons who are required to furnish a return of income, even on behalf of others, must obtain PAN.
2. Any person carrying on any business or profession whose total sales, turnover or gross receipts are or is likely to exceed five lakh rupees in any previous year;
3. Any person, who intends to enter into financial transaction where quoting PAN is mandatory, must also obtain PAN.
4. The Assessing Officer may allot PAN to any person either on his own or on a specific request from such person

NOTE: Obtaining or Possessing more than one PAN card is against the law, for which a penalty of Rs.10,000/- may be imposed.

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How To Apply For PAN Card ?

PAN application should be made only on Form 49A. A PAN application (Form 49A) can be downloaded from

• The website of Income Tax department or UTIISL or NSDL ( Apply for PAN Card – Income Tax India Website ) or
• printed by local printers or photocopied (on A4 size 70 GSM paper) or
• obtained from any other source.
• The form is also available online.

However, there is no Tatkal kind of facility available to apply for PAN Card as of now.

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Here comes our main question.

• What does PAN card number format represents?
• Why the numbering system of PAN card has alphanumeric characters?
• How to understand PAN card number system?
• Does PAN card number contains information in acronym format?

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PAN Card Number Meaning : Understanding the 10 digit code

PAN 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.

I Hope this information is useful to you all. 

Source: Income Tax PAN services Unit

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Related Queries:

• 10 Digit PAN Card Number hidden meaning.
• Understand Permanent Account Number Code
• details of 10 digit Pan card number
• Understand PAN card Unique ID pattern
• Understand 10 Digit Alpha Numeric Code

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