Government deactivates 11 lakh PAN cards: Here's how to find out your status

New Delhi: In an attempt to win the battle against the frauds pertaining to holding multiple PAN cards so as to avoid paying taxes, the central government has deactivated nearly 11.4 lakh PAN cards by July 27 of this year. 

The linking of the PAN with UIDAI-linked Aadhaar was made compulsory by the government for filing income tax returns. Also, Aadhaar had become mandatory in order to avail a PAN card, effective July 1. 

As the rules suggest, a person can only have one PAN number. Earlier, the government had probed cases of fake PAN cards with fabricated information about themselves. 

Here's how you can check your PAN's validity:

1- Log on to https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in, which is the official website to file income tax returns. 

2- Select "Know Your PAN" option provided on the home page of the website in the left hand column under the heading 'services'. 

3- Enter your registered mobile number on the page. Fill out all the required details, which include your first name, surname, Pan status, gender, Date of Birth and mobile number used to register the PAN card. Click on "Submit" option. An OTP will be sent to your registered mobile number. 

4- Given that you have multiple PAN numbers registered under your name, a notice will pop up- "There are multiple records for the query. Please provide the additional information." After which you will be directed to a new page to notify you about the validity of the PAN card.

Active PAN cards will be notified as "Active".