How to Apply for a Company PAN Card?

Author: Editorial Team | in, Updated on: April 09, 2025 | Category:

Overview : For all taxpayers, the Permanent Account Number (PAN) is a crucial piece of paper. A PAN card is required for conducting business in India, regardless of where the company is incorporated—in India or abroad. For a variety of reasons, businesses with Indian roots but income from abroad must also supply PAN information.

All organizations that are making money in India are required to follow a mandate from the government whether the PAN card is held by a company, an individual business, a HUF, a trust, or a partnership organization.

PAN Card for Company

Any taxpayer needs to have a PAN or Permanent Account Number. The string consists of 10 distinct letters and numerals. The Income Tax Act of 1961 contains certain PAN card requirements. All tax-paying individuals, partnerships, businesses, etc., must have a PAN card. It also serves as identification documentation for a variety of uses.

For all taxpayers, a permanent Account Number (PAN) is a crucial record. Companies must have a PAN in order to conduct business in India, whether they were incorporated in India or elsewhere. Companies with Indian roots that make money outside of India must also mention PAN for a number of requirements within the nation.

Which Businesses must have a PAN Card in India?

Now, the question arises, which businesses must possess a PAN Card? So, any corporate or artificial judiciary body involved in any profit-making activities must have a valid PAN Card. Entities registered in any foreign nation but doing business in India and vice-versa, must also possess a PAN Card. The businesses or entities that must have PAN Cards in India are listed below;

Company
Limited Companies
Partnership Firm
Limited Liability Partnership (LLP)
Hindu Undivided Family (HUF)
Association of Persons (AOP)
Body of Individuals
Trust
Incorporations
Associations
Private Firms
Hedge Funds
Foreign Institutional Investors

PAN card application process for a Company

Applying for a company’s PAN card is an easy process that may be completed online. Companies with Indian incorporation must complete Form 49A in order to request a new PAN.

No. Of Steps	PAN Card Application Process
1.	On the NSDL website, go to the Paperless PAN application section.
2	Choose Form 49A or Form 49AA from the drop-down menu labeled “Application Type,” and then choose “category” as “Company” from the following menu.
3	Complete the essential fields, including M/s, Details of the firm (in the “Last Name”), Company Incorporation Date, Company Email Address, and Contact Information. After completing all of the fields, enter the captcha code to continue. An email with a token number will be created and delivered to the company’s address.
4	The e-sign and e-KYC facilities won’t be available until the company submits its PAN application. There will already be information for the company’s name, email address, and phone number. Formalities such as manually signing the document and providing KYC information must be done in person.
5	You must include information about the source of income in this section. Choose from alternatives like Income from Business / Profession, and if you choose Business, be sure to choose the type of Business as well. Mention the specifics of your income source if it comes from capital gains, real estate, or any other source.
6	The applicant must then supply information about the office address, which is also used as a communication address in the PAN card database.
7	Giving the Assessing Officer (AO) code, which is designated according to the jurisdiction region of your location, is a further step. You can choose “Indian citizen,” and then you can choose “State” and “City.” Alternatively, you can visit the NSDL website’s “AO Code Search for PAN” page.
8	Go ahead and visit the documentation page now.
9	In the case of corporations, the Certificate of Registration issued by the Registrar of Corporations may be used as evidence of both identity and address.
10	The applicant will next be questioned about their connection to the company after signing the declaration, which is then required. For the company’s PAN Card, you can apply as either a director or an authorized signatory. The necessary papers must then be uploaded after the form and declaration have been submitted.
11	After filling out the application, the applicant should check to see whether all of the information is accurate before submitting the form.
12	In addition to submitting the application form, the applicant must also pay a charge of Rs 110 if the communication address is inside India and Rs 1020 if it is outside of India. Demand Draft, Credit Card, Debit Card, and Net Banking are the accessible payment options. One must make sure that the Director is using a credit card, debit card, or net banking.
13	The applicant will receive an acknowledgment receipt after completing a successful payment, which they can use to monitor the progress of their PAN Card application for a company. Along with a copy of the registration certificate and a demand draught, a copy of the legally signed acknowledgment receipt is given to the NSDL office in addition to checking the status (if any).

Offline Application for Company PAN Card

To apply for a company PAN Card offline, several steps need to be followed. It doesn't matter whether the company is Indian or Foreign based, the process of PAN application is simple and quite accessible. The step-by-step process is described below;

Step 1 : Download Form : Download Form 49A for the Indian companies and Form 49AA for foreign companies from NSDL or UTIITSL website. Take print out the form.

Step 2 : Fill the Form : Enter the essential details in the form carefully. Make sure that all the information provided is accurate and fully up-to-date.

Step 3 : Attach necessary documents : Attach the necessary documents as mentioned in the form. Required documents mainly include Proof of Identity, Address and Incorporation Certificate of the Company.

Step 4 : Submit the Form : Submit the completed form with attached required documents to your nearest NSDL processing centre. Find your nearest centre on the government's TIN website.

Step 5 : Acknowledgement Receipt : Upon submission of the form, you will receive an acknowledgement receipt. It serves as a proof of your application submission.

Step 6 : Verification and Delivery : After submitting your PAN application, it will be verified by the concerned authorities. If the provided information and attached documents are found to be valid, it gets verified and the company's PAN card will be dispatched to its registered office address.

Documents Needed for an Indian Company to Apply for a PAN Card

Indian businesses requesting a PAN card must submit the following paperwork with their application:

Identification and address of evidence
A replica of the incorporation certificate
A copy of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs’ No Objection Certificate

Documents Needed for Foreign Company PAN Card

The aforementioned supporting documentation must be provided when a foreign company applies for a PAN card.

Send any of the following as identification and proof of address:

Copy of a Certificate of Registration issued in the applicant’s country and duly attested by an “Apostille” or by the Indian Embassy, High Commission, or Consulate there, or by a representative of an overseas branch of a Scheduled Bank with Indian registration.
A copy of the registration certificate that the Indian government issued after approving the establishment of an office there.

In order to pay the Income Tax Department the fee for the issuance of the PAN card, you, as the applicant, will need a bank draft. The amount due must be paid in INR (Indian Rupees). For this reason, you can purchase a foreign currency draft made out to PAN or UTIITSL.

Why does your company need a PAN card?

Here are a few justifications for why obtaining a PAN Card is crucial.

The Income Tax Department uses it as a reference number to monitor your financial transactions. Your PAN must be referenced in both your income tax form and transactions.
It is required to have one if you are making money, even if you are not entitled to pay taxes.
Companies must pay tax for operations conducted within the nation, regardless of whether they are registered there or outside. The government will withhold tax at the maximum rate in the absence of the PAN.
You can use your PAN to expedite the payment of invoices, remittances, and income tax returns.
Companies must give their Tax Registration Number (TRN) to whoever is paying them, just like individuals. Only when the business has a PAN can a TRN be obtained.
It was made necessary for foreign corporations by Section 206AA, which was changed in 2009 by the Finance Act. All international parties who give or generate payments to a counterpart in India will now be required to provide their PAN. Individuals, corporations, limited liability companies, and other types of entities are all included in this.
Without a PAN, the government may deduct withholding tax at a rate that exceeds 30% of the entire invoiced amount.

Conclusion

Applying for a PAN Card for a company or other income-making entities is mandatory in India. It's not mere legal compliance but way beyond that and plays several key roles for your business/company. It serves as your company's tax identity, enabling for efficient monitoring of economic activities by the government. Having a PAN card in a company or business name, eases many tasks including ITR Filing, managing remittances, and invoices and so on.

Check out SetIndiaBiz’s Firm Registration Package if you haven’t yet registered your company. We not only simplify the registration procedure for you but also handle PAN, TAN, and current account establishment for you.

Author Bio

Editorial Team | in

Setindiabiz Editorial Team is a multidisciplinary collective of Chartered Accountants, Company Secretaries, and Advocates offering authoritative insights on India’s regulatory and business landscape. With decades of experience in compliance, taxation, and advisory, they empower entrepreneurs and enterprises to make informed decisions.