
A Permanent Account Number (PAN) card is a 10-character alphanumeric identifier issued by the Income Tax Department of India. It is a crucial card for anyone engaging in financial activities in India, such as filing income tax returns, making large cash deposits, or buying or selling property. In some cases, a PAN card may be deactivated due to various reasons, such as holding multiple PAN cards, fraudulent activities, or non-residency status of foreigners who no longer need to carry out financial transactions in India. However, it is possible to reactivate a deactivated PAN card by following certain procedures, which may include submitting a request letter to the Assessing Officer and providing the necessary documents.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Can a deactivated PAN card be activated? | Yes |
| How to check if a PAN card is deactivated | Visit the official website for Income Tax e-filing, enter the required details, and click "Continue" to see the status |
| Reasons for deactivation | Holding multiple PAN cards, fraudulent activities, non-residency status of foreigners, death of the cardholder, noncompliance with regulations, mismatch with Aadhar card |
| Steps to reactivate a deactivated PAN card | Write a request letter to the jurisdictional Assessing Officer (AO), attach the necessary documents (e.g., Indemnity Bond, copy of PAN, copy of recent Income Tax Returns), submit the letter and documents to the regional Income Tax Department office |
| Timeframe for reactivation | Approximately 10-15 working days, up to one month |
| Charges for reactivation | No charges, but linking with Aadhar card may require a payment of ₹1000 |
| Consequences of deactivated PAN card | Delays in financial transactions, inability to file income tax returns, limitations on transactions, hikes in TDS rates |
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What You'll Learn
- PAN card deactivation can cause issues with financial transactions and tax returns
- Multiple PAN cards can lead to deactivation
- The Income Tax Department deactivates PAN cards of deceased cardholders
- Reactivation requires a request letter to the Assessing Officer or jurisdictional AO
- Aadhaar linking can reactivate a PAN card

PAN card deactivation can cause issues with financial transactions and tax returns
A Permanent Account Number (PAN) card is a crucial form of identification for anyone engaging in financial activities in India. It is a 10-character alphanumeric identifier issued by the Income Tax Department of India. The PAN Card links all transactions made by an individual or entity, ensuring that tax evasion is minimised by facilitating the tracking of financial records. It is mandatory for filing income tax returns, making large cash deposits, buying or selling property, and many other financial transactions.
If a PAN card is deactivated, the holder will face issues when trying to complete certain financial transactions. For example, a PAN is required for some transactions under Income Tax regulation, such as opening a DeMat account, investing in mutual funds, or placing a fixed deposit. A deactivated PAN will also cause issues when trying to file tax returns, as the taxpayer's income tax e-filing login will be blocked, and they will be unable to file IT returns on the e-filing platform of the Income Tax Department. The taxpayer will also be unable to check intimations or notifications or respond to communications made by the Income Tax Department through the website.
PAN cards can be deactivated for several reasons, including holding multiple PAN cards, fraudulent activities, or the non-residency status of foreigners who no longer need to carry out financial transactions in India. It is possible to reactivate a deactivated PAN card, but this involves a systematic procedure. The holder must write a request letter to the Assessing Officer of their jurisdiction explaining the need for reactivation and stating the reason for deactivation. Along with the request letter, the holder must attach the necessary documents, including an Indemnity Bond in favour of the Income Tax Department, a copy of the PAN on which the holder is regularly filing their Income Tax Returns, and a copy of the last three years of Income Tax Returns filed on the deactivated PAN.
It is important to reactivate a deactivated PAN card as soon as possible to avoid any further issues with financial transactions and tax returns.
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Multiple PAN cards can lead to deactivation
A Permanent Account Number (PAN) card is a crucial card for anyone engaging in financial activities in India. The PAN Card links all transactions made by an individual or entity, ensuring that tax evasion is minimised by facilitating the tracking of financial records. It is mandatory for filing income tax returns, making large cash deposits, buying or selling property, and many other financial transactions.
The Income Tax Department has observed that people obtain multiple PAN cards to evade taxes. In a move to prevent such illegal activities, the government made it mandatory to link PAN with Aadhaar. As a result, every individual and business entity with more than one PAN card has been compelled to cancel or surrender their additional PAN cards.
According to Section 139A of the Income Tax Act of 1961, an individual is only permitted to hold one single PAN card. If an individual is found to have more than one PAN card, they may be heavily penalised, with a fine of up to INR 10,000, or worse, could even be jailed. Therefore, if an individual is in possession of more than one PAN card, they must immediately apply for the surrender of the additional PAN card(s).
If your PAN card has been deactivated due to holding multiple PAN cards, you can apply to reactivate it. This involves submitting a request letter to the Assessing Officer of your jurisdiction, explaining the need for reactivation and stating the reason for deactivation. Along with the request letter, you must attach the necessary documents, including an Indemnity Bond in favour of the Income Tax Department, a copy of the PAN on which the PAN holder is regularly filing the Income Tax Returns, and a copy of the last three years' Income Tax Returns filed on the deactivated PAN.
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The Income Tax Department deactivates PAN cards of deceased cardholders
The Permanent Account Number (PAN) is a 10-digit alphanumeric code that contains all the taxable financial history of a cardholder. As per Income Tax laws, an individual can have only one PAN card.
The Income Tax Department deactivates the PAN cards of deceased cardholders when their heirs or nominees file a formal application for deactivation along with a copy of the death certificate of the deceased. The relatives of the deceased individual are required to write a letter to the Income Tax Officer of the respective jurisdiction to surrender or cancel the PAN card. The letter should mention the reason for surrender, i.e., the death of the PAN cardholder, and details of the deceased, such as name, PAN card number, and date of birth.
In some cases, the Income Tax Department has been observed to deactivate genuine PAN cards. This could be due to the individual having multiple PAN cards or the presence of errors on the PAN card. In such cases, the cardholder can apply to reactivate the deactivated PAN card by submitting a request letter to the Assessing Officer with the mandatory documents. The process can be done online and is said to be hassle-free.
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Reactivation requires a request letter to the Assessing Officer or jurisdictional AO
A Permanent Account Number (PAN) card is a crucial form of identification in India, used for financial activities and filing income tax returns. Possession of more than one PAN card is illegal, and the government has taken steps to deactivate multiple or fake PAN cards.
If your PAN card has been deactivated, you can apply for reactivation. Reactivation requires a request letter to the Assessing Officer or jurisdictional AO, explaining the need for reactivation and stating the reason for deactivation. This letter should be submitted to the Income Tax Department. It is important to act without delay to avoid any further complications or delays in financial transactions.
The request letter should include the following documents:
- A photocopy of your PAN card
- An Indemnity Bond in favour of the Income Tax Department
- A copy of the PAN on which you usually file your Income Tax Returns
- A copy of the last three years of Income Tax Returns filed on the deactivated PAN
Once the request letter and documents are submitted, it can take 10 to 15 working days for the Income Tax Department to process the reactivation. It is important to note that there are no charges for reactivating a PAN card.
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Aadhaar linking can reactivate a PAN card
The Indian government has been running a drive to deactivate duplicate and fake PAN cards. This has resulted in the deactivation of more than 11 lakh PAN cards. In some cases, genuine PAN cards have been deactivated. If your PAN card has been deactivated, you can apply to reactivate it.
Firstly, check whether your PAN card is active or has been deactivated by the Income Tax Department. You can do this by visiting the Income Tax Department's e-Filing website and entering the required details, such as your PAN, full name, date of birth, and mobile number. The status of your PAN will then be displayed on the screen.
If your PAN card has been deactivated, you can apply to reactivate it by submitting a request letter to the Assessing Officer with the necessary documents. You can also apply to reactivate your PAN card online. In some cases, you may need to fill out a new PAN card form online. You can also link your PAN card with your Aadhaar card, which may help to reactivate your PAN card.
To link your PAN card with your Aadhaar card, you can visit the e-Filing Portal and click on the 'Link Aadhaar' option. You will then need to enter your PAN and Aadhaar numbers, as well as your name and date of birth as mentioned on your Aadhaar card. After entering the required details, a pop-up message will appear showing that your Aadhaar has been successfully linked to your PAN card.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, a deactivated PAN card can be activated.
To reactivate a deactivated PAN card, you must write a letter addressed to the jurisdictional Assessing Officer (AO) in the Income Tax Department requesting reactivation. Along with the letter, attach the required documents, including a photocopy of your PAN card, an Indemnity Bond in favour of the Income Tax Department, and a copy of the last three Income Tax returns filed.
It takes a minimum of 10 to 15 working days for the Income Tax Department to accept and process your reactivation request.
A PAN card can be deactivated for various reasons, including holding multiple PAN cards, fraudulent activities, non-compliance with regulations, or non-residency status of foreigners who no longer need to carry out financial transactions in India.
No, you are not required to pay any charges to reactivate your PAN card. However, if you need to link your PAN with your Aadhaar card, there may be a fee of Rs 1,000.












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