PAN Card Verification
Check PAN Status Online

Not sure if your PAN number is still active? Want to confirm your name and date of birth match the Income Tax records? PAN verification is free, takes under two minutes, and can be done right from this page.

Free — No Charges

Official IT Portal

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OTP-Based Verification

How to Verify Your PAN Card Online

Five simple steps. No login needed. Done in under two minutes.

Enter PAN Above

Type your 10-character PAN in the box on this page, then click the green Verify button.

Official Portal Opens

You'll land on the Income Tax e-Filing portal's "Verify Your PAN" page.

Fill Your Details

Enter your PAN, full name as on the card, date of birth, and your mobile number.

Enter OTP

A 6-digit OTP will be sent to your mobile. Enter it within 15 minutes to validate.

See PAN Status

Your PAN status — active, inoperative, or details mismatch — will show on screen.

What Do the PAN Verification Results Mean?

After you verify, the portal shows one of several status messages. Here's what each one means and what you should do next.

Status	What It Means	What You Should Do
✅ Valid / Active	Your PAN is active, the details match, and everything is in order. This is the result you want to see.	No action needed. You can use this PAN for all financial transactions and tax filings.
🔴 Inoperative	Your PAN is not linked to your Aadhaar. The Income Tax Department has made this mandatory. An inoperative PAN means higher TDS rates apply and ITR filing is blocked.	Link your PAN to Aadhaar through the Income Tax portal. A late fee may apply. Once linked, the PAN gets reactivated within a few days.
⚠️ Details Mismatch	The name or date of birth you entered does not match what is recorded against your PAN in the Income Tax system.	Double-check the spelling of your name and the date format. If there's a genuine error on the PAN card, apply for a correction through UTIITSL.
🔍 PAN Not Found	The PAN number you entered does not exist in the Income Tax database. It could be a typo, or the PAN may not have been issued yet.	Check the number carefully. If correct and you applied recently, wait a few days for the system to update. Contact the Income Tax helpline if the issue persists.
⚡ Valid with Events	Your PAN is valid but has some events recorded against it — for example, if your company underwent a merger or demerger. This is more common for company PANs.	Review the event details shown. For most individuals this status is very rare. Consult a tax professional if you are unsure about the event recorded.
🚫 Deleted / Cancelled	This PAN has been cancelled — typically because it was a duplicate PAN that was found during the IT Department's deduplication drives.	You cannot use this PAN. If you believe it was cancelled in error, contact the Income Tax Department's jurisdictional officer. You may need to apply for a fresh PAN.

Status

What It Means

What You Should Do

✅ Valid / Active

Your PAN is active, the details match, and everything is in order. This is the result you want to see.

No action needed. You can use this PAN for all financial transactions and tax filings.

🔴 Inoperative

Your PAN is not linked to your Aadhaar. The Income Tax Department has made this mandatory. An inoperative PAN means higher TDS rates apply and ITR filing is blocked.

Link your PAN to Aadhaar through the Income Tax portal. A late fee may apply. Once linked, the PAN gets reactivated within a few days.

⚠️ Details Mismatch

The name or date of birth you entered does not match what is recorded against your PAN in the Income Tax system.

Double-check the spelling of your name and the date format. If there's a genuine error on the PAN card, apply for a correction through UTIITSL.

🔍 PAN Not Found

The PAN number you entered does not exist in the Income Tax database. It could be a typo, or the PAN may not have been issued yet.

Check the number carefully. If correct and you applied recently, wait a few days for the system to update. Contact the Income Tax helpline if the issue persists.

⚡ Valid with Events

Your PAN is valid but has some events recorded against it — for example, if your company underwent a merger or demerger. This is more common for company PANs.

Review the event details shown. For most individuals this status is very rare. Consult a tax professional if you are unsure about the event recorded.

🚫 Deleted / Cancelled

This PAN has been cancelled — typically because it was a duplicate PAN that was found during the IT Department's deduplication drives.

You cannot use this PAN. If you believe it was cancelled in error, contact the Income Tax Department's jurisdictional officer. You may need to apply for a fresh PAN.

When Should You Verify Your PAN?

PAN verification is not just for troubleshooting. Here are the most common situations where it helps.

Before Opening a Bank Account Banking

Banks are required to collect and verify your PAN before opening a savings or current account, or creating a fixed deposit above ₹50,000. If your PAN details don't match, the account opening can get stuck or delayed.

Running a quick PAN verification beforehand ensures your name and date of birth in the Income Tax database match exactly what you're submitting to the bank — saving you the back-and-forth.

Before Filing Your Income Tax Return ITR

If your PAN is inoperative at the time of filing your ITR, the return will be rejected. You'll also face TDS deductions at the highest rate throughout the year, costing you extra money that you'd have to claim back as a refund later.

A simple PAN verification before the ITR season (July–September) saves you from these headaches. If inoperative, you can link your Aadhaar and get it reactivated well before the filing deadline.

After Receiving a Corrected or New PAN Card New PAN

If you recently got a PAN correction done — say you updated your name after marriage, or fixed a date of birth error — it's a good habit to verify that the new details are correctly reflected in the Income Tax system.

Sometimes there's a delay between the physical card being printed and the database being updated. Verifying online confirms the correction has been applied on the backend.

For KYC in Mutual Funds or Investments Investments

SEBI-registered entities — mutual fund houses, stockbrokers, demat account providers — all do a PAN verification as part of the KYC process. If your PAN is inoperative or the details don't match, your account opening or investment will be put on hold.

Doing a self-verification first means no surprises when you're trying to start your investment journey. It takes two minutes and could save days of delay.

Complete Guide

PAN Card Verification — Everything You Need to Know

What Is PAN Verification and Why Does It Matter?

PAN verification is the process of checking whether a PAN (Permanent Account Number) is valid, active, and correctly recorded in the Income Tax Department's database. It's a quick online check that tells you if the PAN number exists, whether it's currently active or inoperative, and whether the name and date of birth linked to it match what you have on record.

This matters more than most people realise. An inoperative PAN means your bank will cut TDS at double the normal rate. An unverified name mismatch could delay your ITR, loan application, or investment KYC by weeks. A simple two-minute check prevents all of that.

Good to Know: PAN verification is completely free for individuals checking their own PAN. You don't need to log in. Just go to the Income Tax portal's pre-login section and verify using your mobile OTP.

Who Can Verify a PAN Card Online?

There are two groups of people who use PAN verification:

Individuals and businesses verifying their own PAN — to make sure it's active, the details are correct, and it's linked to Aadhaar. This is what most people on this page need to do, and it's available to everyone for free.

Authorised agencies like banks, NBFCs, insurance companies, and registered financial institutions who need to verify customer PANs in bulk as part of the KYC process. These entities register separately with the Income Tax Department and pay an annual fee. They can verify up to 1,000 PANs at once through a file upload system.

If you're an individual just checking your own PAN, don't worry about the bulk route — the simple online method is all you need.

PAN Verification via the Income Tax Portal — A Closer Look

The Income Tax e-Filing portal at eportal.incometax.gov.in is the official place to verify your PAN. The "Verify Your PAN" option is available in the pre-login section — meaning you don't need to have an account or log in.

Here is what happens step by step once you're on that page:

Enter your PAN number (the 10-character alphanumeric code)
Enter your full name exactly as it appears on your PAN card
Enter your date of birth in DD/MM/YYYY format (for companies, it's the date of incorporation)
Enter your mobile number — this doesn't need to be the Aadhaar-linked one, just one you can access right now
Click Continue — a 6-digit OTP will arrive on your phone within a few seconds
Enter the OTP and click Validate — your PAN status will appear on the next screen

Note: The OTP is valid for 15 minutes only. You have three attempts to enter it correctly. If you miss all three, you'll need to restart the process. Keep your phone handy before clicking Continue.

Is PAN Verification the Same as Checking PAN-Aadhaar Link Status?

Not exactly, though the two are related. PAN verification tells you whether your PAN is active, valid, and whether your basic details match the database. The PAN-Aadhaar link status check specifically tells you whether your PAN has been successfully linked to your Aadhaar number.

When you complete a PAN verification on the Income Tax portal, the result screen also shows you the "Aadhaar seeding status" — so you get both pieces of information in one go. If the seeding status shows "not linked," you'll want to complete the Aadhaar-PAN linking process to avoid your PAN becoming inoperative.

Can Businesses and Employers Verify PAN Cards?

Yes, and many do. Companies routinely verify PAN cards when onboarding new employees, vendors, or clients. For small volumes — up to five at a time — the screen-based verification on the Income Tax portal works fine. You log in with your organisation's account and verify them one by one.

For larger volumes, organisations can register as a Bulk PAN Verification User with the Income Tax Department. After approval (which requires a digital signature and annual fee of around ₹12,000), they can upload CSV files with up to 1,000 PANs at a time and get verification results in batch. This is widely used by HR departments, banks during loan processing, and insurance companies during policy issuance.

For Employers: If you're an employer deducting TDS on salary, verifying your employees' PANs ensures you're using the right details in Form 16 and reduces the chance of getting a mismatch notice from the Income Tax Department later.

What Happens If My PAN Is Shown as Inoperative?

An inoperative PAN is one that has not been linked to Aadhaar. The Income Tax Department made PAN-Aadhaar linking mandatory, and PANs that weren't linked by the deadline were marked inoperative. An inoperative PAN is not deleted or cancelled — it can be reactivated.

Here's the impact of an inoperative PAN:

TDS is deducted at double the normal rate on your income and payments
You cannot file an Income Tax Return until it's reactivated
Banks and financial institutions may flag your transactions
Refunds from the IT Department will be held back

To fix it: Log in to the Income Tax portal, go to the PAN-Aadhaar linking section, and complete the linking. A late fee currently applies. Once the payment is confirmed and the link is processed, the PAN gets reactivated — typically within a few working days.

PAN Verification for NRIs

If you're an NRI and earn any income from India — rent, dividends, capital gains, freelance payments — you need a valid, active PAN. A quick online verification tells you whether your PAN is still active and whether your details are correctly recorded.

One thing NRIs should watch for: if your PAN was issued when you were a resident of India, your residency status in the IT database might still show as "Resident." This can cause complications with TDS rates and tax treaties. After verifying, if you notice a status issue, you can update your details through the PAN correction process using Form 49A.

The Instant e-PAN option via Aadhaar is not available to NRIs (since Aadhaar is only issued to Indian residents), but the PAN verification service is accessible to anyone with a valid PAN and a working mobile number.

PAN Verification vs PAN Validation — What's the Difference?

These two terms get mixed up, but they mean different things. PAN validation just checks the format of the PAN — whether the 10 characters follow the correct pattern (three letters, then a taxpayer type letter, then the first letter of the surname, then four digits, then a check letter). This is a basic logical check that any software can do.

PAN verification is much more thorough. It checks against the actual Income Tax Department database, confirms whether the PAN is active, and matches it against the holder's real name and date of birth. This is the check that matters for financial, KYC, and compliance purposes.

If you're filling a form online and it says "invalid PAN," it might just be a format check — in that case, double-check your typing. If a bank or institution says your PAN verification failed, that's a database-level issue that needs the proper verification steps described on this page.

Frequently Asked Questions — PAN Verification

The most common questions people ask about verifying a PAN card online.

How do I verify my PAN card online for free?

Go to the Income Tax e-Filing portal at eportal.incometax.gov.in and click "Verify Your PAN" — or use the green verify button at the top of this page which takes you there directly. Enter your PAN number, full name as on the card, date of birth, and mobile number. An OTP will be sent. Enter it, and your PAN status will show on the screen. The entire process is completely free.

Can I verify PAN without logging in to the Income Tax portal?

Yes. PAN verification is available in the "pre-login" section of the Income Tax portal — you do not need to create an account or log in. You just need your PAN details and a mobile number that can receive an OTP. Click the verify button on this page and you'll land directly on the pre-login verification page.

Why does my PAN show as inoperative and how do I fix it?

An inoperative PAN means it hasn't been linked to your Aadhaar. This is now mandatory. To fix it, log in to the Income Tax portal, go to the PAN-Aadhaar linking section, enter both numbers, and pay the applicable late fee. After the payment is processed and the link is confirmed, your PAN gets reactivated. This usually takes 4–5 working days. An inoperative PAN is not cancelled — it can always be reactivated.

The verification shows a name mismatch. What should I do?

First, check your typing — even a minor spelling difference (like "Singh" vs "Sigh") will cause a mismatch. Try entering your name exactly as printed on the physical PAN card, including any middle names or initials. If you've verified the spelling is correct and there's still a mismatch, it means the PAN database has an error. In that case, apply for a PAN correction through UTIITSL using the correction form (linked in the Quick Services above). Upload your proof documents and the error will be fixed within 15–20 working days.

Does PAN verification check PAN-Aadhaar link status too?

Yes, as part of the verification result the Income Tax portal also shows you the Aadhaar seeding status — whether your PAN is linked to an Aadhaar or not. So in one go, you can confirm that your PAN is valid, your details are correct, and your Aadhaar link is in place. It's a useful all-in-one check before filing your ITR or doing any major financial transaction.

Can a company or business verify employee PANs in bulk?

Yes. Businesses and organisations can register as a Bulk PAN Verification User with the Income Tax Department via Protean (NSDL). Once registered and approved, they can upload CSV files with up to 1,000 PAN entries at a time and receive verification results in batch. This is ideal for HR departments, payroll teams, and financial institutions. For smaller needs — up to five PANs at once — the regular logged-in screen-based method on the IT portal works fine.

I don't have the physical PAN card. Can I still verify my PAN?

Yes. To verify your PAN you just need your PAN number, full name, date of birth, and a mobile number. You don't need the physical card in hand. If you've forgotten your PAN number, you can find it on your Form 16 (from your employer), on your bank's records, or by logging in to your Income Tax e-filing account. Once you have the PAN number, use the green verify button on this page.

Is PAN verification different from checking PAN application status?

Yes, they're two different things. PAN verification is for an already-issued PAN — it confirms the PAN is active, valid, and the details are correctly recorded. PAN application status is for when you've recently applied for a new PAN and want to know where in the process it is — whether it's been processed, printed, or dispatched. For application status tracking, use the UTIITSL tracking link in the Related Services section on this page.

My PAN shows as "Deleted." Is that permanent?

A "Deleted" or "Cancelled" PAN typically means it was identified as a duplicate — either two PANs were issued to the same person, or there was an administrative error. The duplicate gets cancelled. If you believe this happened in error to your only PAN, you need to contact the jurisdictional Assessing Officer (JAO) of the Income Tax Department with supporting documents. You can find your JAO details on the Income Tax portal using the "Know Your AO" feature.

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