How to Avail 'instant' PAN Card using Aadhaar?

With the Income Tax Department of the country launching a one-time service for those individuals who do not have a Permanent Account Number (PAN), there seem to be lot of doubt in the minds of the applicants. The PAN card is required by individuals to file income tax returns and with this being the high time for filing the returns, people who do not have the 10-digit alphanumeric number are looking to avail it by the using the ‘new’ service offered by the IT department. As part of the service, applicants can avail an ‘instant’ PAN or e-PAN with the help of the Aadhaar card. The service which has been introduced for a limited period of time is available for free on a first-come-first-serve basis to resident Indians only. It needs to be mentioned that the service can be availed by only individuals who have an Aadhaar card and have previously not had a PAN card in their name. Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), minors, companies, trusts etc are not eligible to avail the service.
The department informed that the instant PAN service was launched keeping in the mind the large number of applications that they had received in the last couple of months. With the last date for filing income tax returns fast approaching, the department with the help of the service was trying to facilitate those seeking PAN cards to file their returns.

How can an individual apply for instant PAN?

• First, the applicant needs to visit www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/home
• Select, ‘Instant e-PAN’ option under the ‘Quick Links’ tab.
• In the next page, select ‘Apply Instante-PAN’
• Read the instructions and click on ‘Next’.
• Next, fill in the details like name, date of birth, gender, Aadhaar details. (The details provided must match the ones mentioned in the Aadhaar card).
• Click on ‘Submit’.

After the application is submitted, Aadhaar e-KYC will be carried out by the authorities. Only after Aadhaar e-KYC is completed, the entire process of e-PAN or instant PAN shall be initiated. It needs to be mentioned that while submitting the application form, applicants who wish to avail instant PAN or e-PAN need to upload a scanned copy of his/her signature on a white paper in not more than 10KB size. Once the application is successfully registered, a 15-digit acknowledgement number will be generated and sent to the applicant on the email address and mobile number provided in the application form. With the help of the acknowledgement number, the status of Instant e-PAN can be checked by the applicant.
Once the instant PAN is alloted to the applicant, he/she will be intimated through an SMS or email. Following which, the instant PAN can be downloaded from the e-filing portal www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/home.

How to download ‘Instant PAN’?

To download instant PAN or e-PAN, The applicant needs to follow the below mentioned steps:

• Visit www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/home
• Click on ‘Instant e-PAN’ under the ‘Quick Links’ Tab.
• On the next page, select ‘Check Instant e-PAN Status’.
• Enter the acknowledgment number and the captcha code
• Click on ‘Submit’.

Points that needs to kept in mind prior to applying for Instant PAN

While looking to avail an instant PAN, there are certain things that the applicant needs to keep in mind. Those are as follows:

• Individuals who already have a PAN must not apply for instant PAN.
• Active mobile number must be linked with Aadhaar to receive the One Time Password (OTP).
• As instant PAN is generated using the particulars available in Aadhaar, it is necessary to update all the details first by visiting the UIDAI website.
• Physical documents are not required to be submitted while applying for an e-PAN.

Difference between SBI’s Insta Savings account and Digital Savings account

State Bank of India, the country’s largest lender offers its customers many benefits. As time has gone by the bank apart from offering other benefits, has allowed its customers to open an SBI account from the comforts of their home. This can be done using the bank’s one-stop YONO app. Individuals can open the Insta Savings account and Digital Savings account that the bank offers using the YONO app.


Here, we take a look at some of the basic differences between both the savings accounts offered by SBI:

• The Insta Savings account which SBI offers can be opened and operated only by a single person while the digital savings account can be operated both on a single and joint basis. It needs to be mentioned here that the YONO app enables the individual to open the account on a single basis, which can be later changed to joint account by visiting an SBI branch.
• The Insta savings account offers customers the facility of ‘instant account activation’. This facility ensures that the individual who opens the account need not visit the bank branch for activating the account. As for digital savings account, the applicant is required to go to an SBI branch for activating the account.
• As per State Bank of India, applicants who open an insta savings account are offered a free RuPay debit card. While to those who open a digital savings account, the bank issues a personalised platinum debit card.
• The bank offers customers who avail the digital savings account the option of converting their account into a salary account. However, no such facility is provided to customers who avail the Insta savings account.
• Customers who open either of the two accounts offered by the bank i.e the digital savings account or the insta savings account need not maintain a certain amount of average balance in a bid to avoid penalty charges. The offer has been provided to the customers by the bank till the end of the current financial year i.e 31 March 2019.
• SBI offers the applicants who open digital savings account the option of cheque book facility. If the customers wish to use the facility, they would be required to pay applicable charges. The facility is not provided under the insta savings account offered by the bank.
• Both the accounts offered by the bank can be opened by resident Indians who are above 18 years of age. It needs to be mentioned that while opening both accounts, the applicant is required to provide a mandatory nomination.
• While opening both the accounts, the applicants are not required to submit physical copies of the acceptable documents as the accounts are opened on a paperless basis.
• Applicants who wish to open either of the two bank accounts using the YONO app need to provide information mentioned on their Aadhaar card and PAN card. They need to provide the card numbers of both the documents either through the YONO app or through the website for availing the accounts offered by the bank.
• The bank has stipulated an aggregate end of day balance of up to Rs.1 lakh and total annual transactions of up to Rs.2 lakh in the case of Insta Savings account. While for the digital savings account, the bank has restricted cash withdrawal to a maximum of Rs.1 lakh using the Platinum debit card. To withdraw money in excess of Rs.1 lakh, users of digital savings account would need to visit the bank branch and carry out the transaction using the Green Channel Counter (GCC).