Permanent Account Number

PAN Card
A sample of a Permanent account number card
Date first issued	12/01/1964
Issued by	India
Purpose	Identification and Income Tax

Permanent Account Number (PAN) is a code that acts as an identification for individuals, families and corporates (Indian or Foreign), especially those who pay Income Tax. It is a unique, 10-character alpha-numeric identifier, issued to all judicial entities identifiable under the Indian Income Tax Act, 1961. An example number would be in the form of A008113003. It is issued by the Indian Income Tax Department under the supervision of the Central Board for Direct Taxes (CBDT) and it also serves as an important proof of identification.