You can make an instant e-PAN card free of cost on the Income Tax e-Filing portal, provided you are an individual who has never been allotted a PAN and has a valid Aadhaar linked to your mobile number. The process uses Aadhaar-based e-KYC and is completed quickly.
The steps are:
- Visit the Income Tax e-Filing portal and select the 'Instant e-PAN' option.
- Click on 'Get New e-PAN' and enter your 12-digit Aadhaar number.
- Validate your identity using the OTP sent to your Aadhaar-linked mobile number.
- Once allotted, you can download your e-PAN in PDF format from the 'Check Status / Download PAN' section.