Today, PAN card has become one of the most important documents of our identity. From opening a bank account to purchasing property, its imperative in every financial transaction has made it an integral part of our life.
But do you know that many of your personal information are hidden in the 10 letters and digits inscribed on your PAN card? Surprisingly, 99 percent of people are unaware of the real meaning of these digits. Let us know what information is hidden in the 10 letters of your PAN card.
PAN i.e. Permanent Account Number is a unique identity number to be issued by the Income Tax Department. It is an alphanumeric code of 10 letters, which includes both letters and numerals. Through this number, the Income Tax Department monitors the identity of every taxpayer of the country and their financial transactions.
First three letters of PAN card: Series Code
The first three letters of your PAN card reflect the alphabetical series. These letters can occur from any series ranging from AAA to ZZZ. These three letters are selected by the Income Tax Department under a special process. These letters are random and they have no direct connection with your personal information. For example, if someone’s PAN number is abcpg5809L, ABC is the first three letters that reflect the series code.
Fourth letter: Indication of your identity
The fourth letter of the PAN card is very important, as it indicates your identity. This letter tells what you are in the eyes of the Income Tax Department – individual, company, firm or any other institution. If you are a person, the fourth letter of your PAN card will be ‘P’. Similarly, other letters mean the following:
‘A’ – Group of Person (Association of Persons)
‘B’ – Body of Individuals (Body of Individuals)
‘C’ – Company
‘F’ – firm
‘G’ – Government
‘H’ – Hindu undivided family (HUF)
‘L’ – Local Authority
‘J’ – Artificial judicial person
‘T’ – Trust
For example, if someone’s PAN number is abcpg5809L, then the fourth letter is ‘P’, which shows that it is a person’s PAN card.
Fifth letter: Representation of your name
The fifth letter of the PAN card represents your name. This letter is taken from your first name, surname or the first letter of the last name. For example, if someone’s name is Rahul Gupta, the fifth letter may be ‘G’, which reflects the first letter of their surname ‘Gupta’. Our example is in abcpg5809L, the fifth letter is ‘G’.
From sixth to ninth letter: unique number
There are four digits from the sixth to the ninth letter of the PAN card, which make a unique number. These digits can be in numbers from 0001 to 9999 and are allotted in a random manner. Our examples in ABCPG5809L, ‘5809’ are these four digits.
Tenth letter: check digit
The tenth and final letter of the PAN card is an alphabetic check digit. It is used to check the validity of PAN number. This letter is determined on the basis of a special algorithm and is used to ensure the authenticity of the PAN card. Our example is in ABCPG5809L, ‘L’ is the last check digit.
Other important information of PAN card
Apart from 10 letters on the PAN card, the name of the cardholder, father or husband’s name, date of birth, photographs and signature are also mentioned. In the case of companies, the company’s name, date of registration and PAN number are included. The PAN card also contains the logo and hologram of the Government of India, which ensures its authenticity.
Importance and use of pan card
The PAN card has become extremely important for financial transactions in today’s time. It is used for filing income tax returns, opening bank account, investing in mutual funds, purchasing property and selling, and many other financial activities. Apart from this, it has also become mandatory to link the PAN card to the Aadhaar card.
The unique structure of the PAN card makes it a safe identity document. The information hidden in its 10 letters not only ensures your identity, but also helps the Income Tax Department to monitor your financial transactions.
Precautions and safety measures
The information recorded on the PAN card is very sensitive, so it is very important to keep it safe. Banks and government agencies often advise people not to share their PAN number with anyone. If your PAN number falls in the wrong hands, it can be misused, which can cause financial loss to you.
If your PAN card is lost or stolen, apply for a duplicate PAN card immediately. Also, do not forget to link your PAN card to the Aadhaar card, as it makes your identity further safe.