How to Use the PAN Card Format Validator

Type or paste a 10-character PAN into the box above.
Click Check. The tool trims and uppercases your input, then checks it against the official AAAAA9999A structure.
Read the decode table to see the holder-type character and surname/entity initial broken out.
Nothing you type is uploaded anywhere — the check runs as plain JavaScript inside your browser tab, and it works the same offline.

PAN Structure, Character by Character

A Permanent Account Number (PAN) is a 10-character alphanumeric code issued by India's Income Tax Department, structured as AAAAA9999A — five letters, four digits, one letter:

Characters 1–3: An alphabetic series (AAA through ZZZ) with no independent meaning beyond being part of the Income Tax Department's internal sequencing.
Character 4: The PAN holder type — a single letter that tells you what kind of taxpayer the PAN belongs to.
P
= Individual,
C
= Company,
H
= Hindu Undivided Family (HUF),
F
= Firm/LLP,
A
= Association of Persons,
T
= Trust,
B
= Body of Individuals,
L
= Local Authority,
J
= Artificial Juridical Person,
G
= Government.
Character 5: The first letter of the PAN holder's surname (for individuals) or the first letter of the entity's name (for companies, trusts, etc.).
Characters 6–9: A sequential 4-digit number (0001–9999) assigned by the department.
Character 10: A check character. The Income Tax Department has never published the algorithm behind it.

Worked Example

AAAPL1234C

— a commonly used illustrative/test PAN, not a real allotted number — decodes as: series AAA, holder type P (Individual), surname initial L, sequential number 1234, and check character C (shown as-is, since the check algorithm isn't public). A business PAN would instead show a holder type like

C

(Company),

F

(Firm/LLP), or

H

(HUF) in the same 4th position.

Why There's No Checksum Check Here

Unlike GSTIN (which uses a documented Luhn mod-36 checksum) or Aadhaar (which uses the published Verhoeff algorithm), the Income Tax Department has never publicly disclosed how PAN's 10th character is computed. Several third-party tools claim to "validate" it, but without an official specification any such check is guesswork dressed up as verification — which is exactly the kind of false confidence this tool avoids. We only check what's actually documented: the AAAAA9999A shape and the 4th-character holder type.

What This Tool Does NOT Do

This tool does not query the Income Tax Department's e-Filing portal, cannot confirm a PAN is actually allotted, and cannot confirm it belongs to the person or entity you expect. A structurally valid PAN is not proof of anything beyond correct shape. For KYC, tax filing, or any situation where it matters, verify on the official incometax.gov.in portal.

Common Mistakes

Assuming the 4th letter is always "P" — it varies by entity type, and businesses commonly have C, F, or H
Confusing character 5 (name initial) with a fixed code — it genuinely varies person to person
Typing a PAN in lowercase and wondering why it "looks wrong" (this tool auto-uppercases it)
Believing any online tool that claims to "verify" the 10th check character — the algorithm isn't public

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this confirm my PAN is real? No — it only confirms the shape is correct and decodes the documented holder-type character.

Is my PAN uploaded anywhere? No. Everything runs locally in your browser tab.

Why doesn't the tool check the 10th character? Because the Income Tax Department has never published the algorithm — any tool claiming to verify it is not using an official method.

Is this free to use? Yes, completely free, with no login and no usage limit.