Know Your PAN is the free service on the Income Tax Department’s e-Filing portal (incometax.gov.in) that lets you check your PAN details, confirm your name and date of birth match the PAN database, and verify whether your PAN is valid or inoperative. It requires your PAN, full name, date of birth, and an OTP sent to your mobile, with no login needed. A separate, related check tells you if your PAN is inoperative due to non-linkage with Aadhaar.
What “Know Your PAN” Actually Means
“Know Your PAN” is not one single button. It covers three distinct things people search for, and each has a different official process:
- Finding a PAN number you’ve forgotten: recovering the 10-digit number itself.
- Verifying PAN details: confirming your name, date of birth, and category match what the Income Tax Department has on record, and that the PAN is valid.
- Checking if a PAN is active or inoperative: a separate status tied to Aadhaar linkage, not the same as “valid.”
The Income Tax Department’s own Verify Your PAN service, listed under Pre-login Services on the e-Filing portal, is what most guides call “Know Your PAN.” Per the department’s official FAQ, it lets you check if your PAN details, such as name and date of birth, match the PAN database, and validate if your PAN is active or not. This service is free, requires no login, and returns an OTP-verified result in under a minute.
How to Know Your PAN Number (If You’ve Lost or Forgotten It)
If you don’t remember your 10-digit PAN at all, “Verify Your PAN” won’t help, since it needs the number as an input. Use one of these instead.
Option 1: Log in to the e-Filing portal.
- Go to eportal.incometax.gov.in and log in (or register if you’re a first-time user).
- Click your profile icon, then My Profile.
- Under Personal Details, your PAN number, name, date of birth, and status are displayed.
Option 2: Download your e-PAN using Aadhaar. If your Aadhaar is linked to your PAN, you can download your e-PAN using your Aadhaar number through Aadhaar-based e-KYC, which shows your PAN number on the downloaded PDF.
Option 3: Check physical or digital records. Bank KYC forms, Form 16, old ITR acknowledgements, mutual fund account statements, and loan documents almost always carry your PAN. This is the fastest offline method if you’ve filed a return before.
Option 4: Contact PAN customer care. Protean (formerly NSDL) and UTIITSL both run PAN customer care lines that can help verify identity and point you to your PAN, though they will not read out the number over an unverified call for security reasons.
Option 5: Never allotted a PAN before? If you’re not recovering a lost PAN but discovering you never got one, apply through Instant e-PAN via Aadhaar, which issues a fresh, free e-PAN in about 10 minutes.
| Method | What you need | What you get | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| e-Filing portal login | Registered account credentials | Full PAN details incl. number | Free |
| Download e-PAN via Aadhaar | Aadhaar linked to active mobile | PDF showing PAN number | Free |
| Old documents (Form 16, bank KYC, ITR) | Access to past paperwork | PAN number only | Free |
| Protean/UTIITSL customer care | Identity verification | Guidance, not the number directly | Free |
| Instant e-PAN (first-time only) | Aadhaar + linked mobile | New PAN allotment | Free |
How to Verify Your PAN Details Online (Know Your PAN Service)
This is the core “Know Your PAN” process for anyone who already has their PAN number and wants to confirm the details on file, or check whether the PAN is valid.
- Visit the Income Tax Department’s e-Filing portal (no login required for this service).
- Under Quick Links, select Verify Your PAN.
- Enter your PAN, full name (as per PAN), date of birth, and mobile number.
- Click Continue, then enter the OTP sent to your mobile.
- The portal displays whether the PAN is valid, and whether the name and date of birth match the database.
The OTP is valid for 15 minutes with a maximum of three attempts, per the department’s official FAQ. A single mobile number can be used to verify a maximum of five different PANs in one day, which matters for HR teams, accountants, and anyone verifying PAN details for multiple family members or employees.
How to Know If Your PAN Card Is Active or Not
This is where most guides blur two different questions together. A PAN can be valid but inoperative at the same time, and the fix depends on which one applies.
Valid vs. active are not the same check.
- Valid means the PAN exists in the department’s database and the name/date of birth you entered match it. This is what the Verify Your PAN / Know Your PAN service checks.
- Active (operative) means the PAN is currently usable for tax filing, banking, and investment transactions. A PAN becomes inoperative specifically when it has not been linked to Aadhaar, under Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act.
Step-by-step: check PAN-Aadhaar linkage status
- Go to the e-Filing portal and open Link Aadhaar Status under Quick Links (no login needed).
- Enter your PAN and Aadhaar number, then click View Link Aadhaar Status.
- The result shows whether your PAN is linked, pending, or not linked to Aadhaar.
Alternatively, send an SMS in the format UIDPAN<12-digit Aadhaar><10-digit PAN> to 567678 or 56161 and you’ll get a reply confirming link status.
What happens if your PAN is inoperative:
- Income tax returns cannot be filed or verified.
- Pending refunds, and interest on them, are withheld.
- TDS and TCS get deducted or collected at higher rates under Sections 206AA and 206CC.
- New bank accounts, fresh investments, and high-value transactions requiring PAN-based KYC may be blocked.
How to reactivate an inoperative PAN:
- Pay the Rs 1,000 penalty on the e-Filing portal via e-Pay Tax, under the fee for delay in linking PAN with Aadhaar.
- Once the challan is confirmed as paid, complete the PAN-Aadhaar linking request.
- Reactivation typically takes 7 to 30 days after successful linking.
Individuals exempt from mandatory linking include NRIs, residents of Assam, Meghalaya, and Jammu & Kashmir, and those aged 80 or above during the relevant financial year.
| Check | Service used | What it tells you | Login needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verify Your PAN / Know Your PAN | e-Filing Quick Links | PAN validity, name/DOB match | No |
| Link Aadhaar Status | e-Filing Quick Links | Whether PAN is operative (Aadhaar-linked) | No |
| My Profile (post-login) | e-Filing portal | Full PAN record, editable details | Yes |
How to Know First Name and Last Name in PAN Card
Your PAN application (Form 93 for individuals, from 1 April 2026) splits your legal name into three fields: First Name, Middle Name, and Last Name, taken directly from your Aadhaar record. If you’re checking what’s currently on file, the fastest way is to log in to the e-Filing portal, open My Profile, and view the Personal Details section, where First Name, Middle Name, and Last Name appear exactly as printed on the PAN.
If you have a single-word name with no surname, the practical convention followed at PAN centres is to place it in the Last Name field and leave First Name blank, since the 5th character of the PAN itself is derived from the last name.
For the full breakdown, including worked examples for initials, single names, and how mismatches between PAN and Aadhaar get corrected, see our complete guide to first name and last name in PAN cards.
What Experts Say
Practitioners handling PAN queries routinely see two mistakes: people assuming “Know Your PAN” will reveal an unknown PAN number from just a name and date of birth, which the current portal does not support for privacy reasons, and people confusing a “valid” PAN with an “active” one. The recurring advice from CA firms is to run both checks, Verify Your PAN and Link Aadhaar Status, before relying on a PAN for a bank, broker, or GST-related transaction, since either one failing independently can hold up KYC.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the “Know Your PAN” service? It is the Income Tax Department’s free, no-login e-Filing portal service that lets you enter your PAN, name, date of birth, and mobile number to confirm your PAN details match the official database and check if the PAN is valid.
How can I know my PAN number if I’ve lost my PAN card? Log in to the e-Filing portal and check My Profile, download your e-PAN using Aadhaar if it’s linked, check old documents like Form 16 or bank KYC records, or contact Protean or UTIITSL customer care.
How do I know if my PAN card is active or not? Check two things separately: use Verify Your PAN to confirm it’s valid, and use Link Aadhaar Status to confirm it’s operative. A PAN not linked to Aadhaar becomes inoperative even if it’s otherwise valid.
How can I know my first name and last name in PAN card? Log in to the e-Filing portal, open My Profile, and check the Personal Details section, which shows First Name, Middle Name, and Last Name exactly as recorded on your PAN.
Is the Know Your PAN or Verify Your PAN service free? Yes. It’s a free service on the official e-Filing portal. No third-party site should charge a fee for this.
How many PANs can I verify with one mobile number in a day? Up to five different PANs can be verified using a single mobile number in one day, per the Income Tax Department’s Verify Your PAN FAQ.
Related guides:
First Name and Last Name in PAN Card: Complete Guide
PAN Card Instant: Complete Guide to Get e-PAN via Aadhaar (2026)
PAN Card Download Online: The Complete Free Guide
How to Link Aadhaar to PAN Online: Complete Guide (2026)
NSDL Login: Registration and Application Process (2026 Guide)
PAN Card Customer Care Number: Complete Guide
Sources & Citations
- Verify Your PAN, Income Tax Department
- Verify Your PAN FAQ, Income Tax Department
- Section 139AA, Income Tax Act, 1961: PAN-Aadhaar linkage requirement
- Sections 206AA and 206CC, Income Tax Act, 1961: higher TDS/TCS for inoperative PAN