New PAN card to cost Rs 105

The step, sources said, has been taken in order to weed out the problem of fake or multiple PAN Cards

New PAN cards issued by the Income Tax department will cost Rs 105, including taxes.

The I-T department has recently notified new procedures for verifying personal and proprietary data of an individual or entity for allotment of new PAN cards.

The step, sources said, has been taken in order to weed out the problem of fake or multiple Permanent Account Number (PAN) cards.

"The cost of getting a new PAN card, including all taxes, is Rs 105. This service charge by-and-large has been kept unchanged. The new procedures of checking original documents for proving date of birth, address and identity have been brought in to check the complaints of fake PAN cards or multiple cards obtained by any entity," a senior I-T official said.

From February 3, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has notified that individuals or others wanting PAN will have to furnish copies of proof of identity, address and date of birth attached with their application forms and they will be checked against their original documents when applications are submitted at PAN facilitation centres.

While the original documents would be returned to applicants after on-the-spot verification, the applicant has to self-attest the photocopies.

The I-T department, in a number of cases, has found a number of individuals possessing multiple PAN cards or forging details to evade taxes and create 'benami' properties.

"The technology systems of the I-T department will now be made error-free and robust once PAN card data is entered as correctly as possible," the official said, adding that the new cards issued henceforth will feature the name and date of birth of the applicant and not the address details.

PAN is a 10-digit alphanumeric number allotted by the I-T department to taxpayers.