PAN Validator — Indian PAN Format & Entity Decode
Paste any 10-character Indian PAN. We confirm the format (5 letters + 4 digits + 1 letter), decode the 4th-character entity type and 5th-character surname initial. Runs entirely in your browser.
| First 3 letters | AAP | Alphabetical series (AAA–ZZZ) issued by Income Tax Dept |
| Entity type (4th letter) | F | Firm — Partnership firm or LLP |
| Surname initial (5th letter) | U | First letter of surname (individuals) or entity name (others) |
| Sequence (4 digits) | 0939 | Sequential number 0001–9999 |
| Check letter | F | Alphabetic check character (algorithm not public) |
Format checked locally in your browser. The Income Tax Department's check-letter algorithm is not public, so this validator confirms the regex pattern and decodes the entity type, but cannot prove the PAN was actually issued. For authoritative verification use the Income Tax e-filing portal.
About this tool
PAN — Permanent Account Number — is the universal tax ID issued by India's Income Tax Department to every taxpayer (individuals, firms, companies, HUFs, trusts, government bodies). It is required for filing income-tax returns, opening bank accounts, buying or selling property, most KYC processes, and any transaction over the prescribed thresholds. Because PAN structure is well defined, you can spot most data-entry errors and fake numbers locally without calling an API.
The structure is rigid: positions 1–3 are an alphabetic series, the 4th letter encodes the entity type, the 5th is the first letter of the surname or entity name, positions 6–9 are a 4-digit sequence, and the 10th is a check letter. The check-letter algorithm is not made public by the Income Tax Department, so structural validation cannot prove a PAN was actually issued. What it does prove: the PAN follows the official format, the entity type code is meaningful, and the surname initial matches a known letter — which catches most typos.
This tool is built for finance, ops, KYC, and onboarding teams who need to sanity-check PANs on customer applications, vendor records, and invoices before pushing them to a downstream system. The validation runs in pure JavaScript — your PAN never leaves the browser. For authoritative verification of issuance and active status, use the official "Verify PAN" service on incometax.gov.in.
How to validate a PAN (5 steps)
- Paste the PAN. Type or paste the 10-character PAN. The input auto-uppercases — PANs are always written in capitals.
- Check the verdict. A green check confirms the format matches '5 letters + 4 digits + 1 letter'. A red X explains exactly which rule failed.
- Decode the 4th character. P = Individual, F = Firm, C = Company, H = HUF, T = Trust, A = AOP, B = BOI, L = Local Authority, J = AJP, G = Government.
- Sanity-check the 5th character. It should be the first letter of the surname (individuals) or entity name. Mismatch with the claimed name = red flag.
- Verify on the IT portal. If the format passes but you need to confirm issuance, use 'Verify PAN' on incometax.gov.in — this tool only validates structure.
PAN entity-type codes (4th character)
| Code | Entity | Description |
|---|---|---|
| P | Individual | Single person — most common |
| F | Firm | Partnership firm, LLP |
| C | Company | Domestic company under the Companies Act |
| H | HUF | Hindu Undivided Family |
| A | AOP | Association of Persons |
| T | Trust | Public or private trust |
| B | BOI | Body of Individuals |
| L | Local Authority | Municipality, panchayat, etc. |
| J | AJP | Artificial Juridical Person |
| G | Government | Government entity |
Use cases
- KYC onboarding — catch typos in customer PAN fields instantly
- Procurement — check vendor PANs before adding to ERP
- Fintech apps — client-side validation before form submit
- Loan origination — flag mismatches between PAN and surname
- HR — validating new employee PANs for payroll compliance
- Auditing — bulk sanity-check of PANs in a CSV before TDS filing
- Real-estate transactions — confirming buyer/seller PAN format
Frequently asked questions
+−What is a PAN?
PAN (Permanent Account Number) is a 10-character alphanumeric ID issued by India's Income Tax Department to individuals, firms, companies, trusts, and other taxable entities. It is mandatory for filing tax returns, opening bank accounts, high-value transactions, and most KYC processes.
+−What does each character of a PAN mean?
Characters 1–3 are an alphabetic series (AAA–ZZZ) running sequentially. The 4th character is the entity type: P (Individual), F (Firm), C (Company), H (HUF), A (AOP), T (Trust), B (BOI), L (Local Authority), J (Artificial Juridical Person), G (Government). The 5th character is the first letter of the surname (individuals) or the entity's name. Characters 6–9 are a 4-digit sequence (0001–9999). The 10th character is an alphabetic check letter.
+−Can I tell if a PAN is genuine just from the format?
No. Format validation only confirms the structure follows the official pattern. It does not prove the PAN was actually issued, is currently active, or belongs to the named person. The check-letter algorithm used by the Income Tax Department is not publicly documented. For authoritative verification, use the 'Verify PAN' service on incometax.gov.in.
+−What does the 4th character tell me?
It encodes the entity type. For an individual, it's P. For a partnership firm, it's F. For a company, it's C. For an HUF, H. This is the most useful single character — knowing the entity type tells you whether to expect personal or corporate KYC documents.
+−Why does the 5th character of a PAN matter?
It must be the first letter of the surname (for individuals) or the entity name. So 'AAPFU0939F' suggests a firm whose name begins with U. If a customer claims to be 'John Smith' but their PAN's 5th character is 'B', something is wrong — typo or mismatched document.
+−Are PAN and Aadhaar the same thing?
No. PAN is a tax ID issued by the Income Tax Department; Aadhaar is a 12-digit biometric ID issued by UIDAI. PAN must be linked to Aadhaar to remain operative — unlinked PANs are deactivated. Both are required for most financial KYC.
+−Is my PAN data sent anywhere?
No. The validator is pure JavaScript — your PAN never leaves your browser. There is no API call, no logging, no analytics on the input field.