---
title: "Permanent Account Number (PAN): Meaning & Use"
description: "A Permanent Account Number (PAN) is a ten-character tax identifier in India, essential for tracking financial transactions and filing taxes."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/permanent-account-number"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- A Permanent Account Number is a ten-character alphanumeric identifier issued by India's Income Tax Department to track all tax-relevant financial transactions of a person or entity.
- What is the statutory basis for allotting a PAN?
- How does PAN differ from Aadhaar and TAN?
- What does each character of a PAN signify?
- What happens if a PAN is not linked to Aadhaar?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

A Permanent Account Number is a ten-character alphanumeric identifier issued by India's Income Tax Department to track all tax-relevant financial transactions of a person or entity.

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In June 2017 the Supreme Court of India, in Binoy Viswam v. Union of India, upheld Section 139AA of the Income-tax Act mandating the linking of every taxpayer's PAN with their Aadhaar number for return filing.

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