PAN card with QR code: Key things to know about it

The Permanent Account Number (PAN) issued by the Income Tax Department is unique for every individual and entity as it is a combination of 10 alphanumeric digits. There have been multiple cases of people and enterprises having multiple PAN cards with which they misuse it for tax assessment purposes. The Income Tax Department undertakes various measures to curb the misuse and duplicity of PAN.

From July 2018 onwards, the Income Tax Department started issuing PAN cards with Enhanced Quick Response (QR) code. This doesn’t imply that the old PAN cards will become dysfunctional. “It is clarified that PAN cards and e–PAN Cards issued prior to July 7, 2018, in old design will also remain valid,” the I-T Department said in a clarification.

PAN card with QR code: Key features

The Enhanced QR code printed on the PAN card contains a photograph and signature of PAN card applicant apart from existing generic information such as the PAN itself, name, father’s name/mother’s name, date of birth (DoB), date of incorporation/formation, in case of a business entity. All the aforementioned details are digitally signed and coded on the Enhanced QR Code.

In order to read the Enhanced QR code with a smartphone, the user has to download the designated application. The Enhanced QR code shall reader is available on Google Play Store, one can search it with a keyword -- ‘Enhanced PAN QR Code Reader’. An auto-focus camera having a resolution of 12 MegaPixel and above is recommended for reading the Enhanced QR Code, the Income Tax Department said. 

The positions of photograph, signature, hologram and dimension of QR code have changed. Moreover, the Enhanced QR code is also present in the e-PAN cards issued to the PAN card applicants. the Income Tax Department said. 

The positions of photograph, signature, hologram and dimension of QR code have changed. Moreover, the Enhanced QR code is also present in the e-PAN cards issued to the PAN card applicants.

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