How do you know your PAN jurisdiction?

PAN - expanded as Permanent Account Number is a code consisting of alphabets and numerals. In total there are 10 characters in a PAN number. PAN is the identification that the Income Tax Department provides the taxpayers. The objective of the PAN number is to systematize and monitor the monetary transactions in a way curbing the tax evasion.

PAN Jurisdiction

Every PAN number in linked to an AO code with 10 digits found in the PAN database. This can be understood as a unique code that contains information including the jurisdiction of the PAN holder, the commissioner’s charge, the region of the chief commissioner, the range of the joint commissioner, the designation and region of the Assessing Officer (AO). Every PAN holder will belong to a particular range based on their geographical location and income source. In every region, there will be multiple units and these units will be called as wards or circles.

The ward of a PAN holder depends on the income declared by the candidate. Different income limits go under different sub-jurisdictions. The income up to a particular limit is automatically included in a particular circle. When you change the area of your residence, the AO code can also change. When you want to modify your AO code, you will have to apply for a new AO.

Steps to know your PAN jurisdiction

• Knowing your PAN jurisdiction is a very simple and easy process. You can do this without even logging on to the Income tax website. Follow these steps to know your jurisdiction.
• Visit the official Income Tax Department website. Click on the link ‘Know Your Jurisdiction’.
• Input your PAN and mobile number and click on ‘submit’.
• You will receive a ‘One Time Password’ on your registered mobile number. Input this OTP on the webpage. Remember that you will have to enter the right OTP and you will not be given more than 3 attempts to do this.
• You will now come to the jurisdiction details for your PAN number. The list of details you will get include area code, AO type, AO number, jurisdiction, name of the income tax ward office, range code, email id of the income tax award office and the status of your PAN card.

Changing your PAN jurisdiction

It is necessary to change your PAN jurisdiction if you have to change your residential address. It is also possible to change your jurisdiction if you are not happy with the way your Assessing Officer functions.

Steps to change your Assessing Office

• Visit the NSDL site and go to the page https://tin.tin.nsdl.com/pan2/servlet/NewPanCorrectDSC.
• Input all the details asked for without any mistakes. Upload your photograph and the supporting documents asked.
• Submit the form and make the payment asked.
• Print the acknowledgement you will get after you have successfully submitted your PAN correction application.
• Put your signature in the acknowledgment, affix your photographs, and sign on one of the photographs.
• Send this acknowledgment attaching all the supporting documents by post to NSDL to reach them within 15 days of applying for the change.