On November 26, 2024, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the PAN 2.0 project of the Income Tax Department. Under this upgrade, a QR code will be provided free of cost on the PAN card.
The central government believes that the primary objective of this project is to modernize and simplify the issuance and management of PAN and TAN, or Tax Deduction and Collection Account Number, so that it is more user-friendly and efficient. The project, which has an existing database of 780 million PANs and 7.32 million TANs, is designed to meet the needs of taxpayers in India by consolidating multiple platforms and providing more effective services to PAN and TAN holders.
What is PAN 2.0 Project?
PAN 2.0 is an e-governance initiative that modernizes the Indian taxpayer registration system with technology-driven reforms.
At present, in India, PAN-related services are offered on three separate platforms: e-filing portal, UTIITSL portal, and Protek e-governance portal.
The PAN 2.0 project will merge these services into a single, unified portal. This centralized platform will comprehensively manage all PAN and TAN-related activities, including applications, updates, corrections, Aadhaar-PAN linking, re-issuance requests, and online PAN verification. By doing so, the country’s income tax department seeks to simplify tax-related processes, reduce delays, and enhance mechanisms for redressal of grievances.
The announcement also mentions that the project aims to make PAN a common identifier for different digital systems used by the designated government agencies of India.
Key Features of PAN 2.0
- Unified Portal: One platform for all PAN and TAN services, thus making it easier for the users to access.
- Eco-friendly Processes: Paperless processes to reduce the amount of paperwork.
- Free issue and fast turnaround: Free issue of PAN cards along with shorter processing time
- Strong security measures: Personal and demographic data will be secured by the incorporation of strong security measures which include the PAN data vault.
- Supporting services: A call center and a help desk for user call and complaints.
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