What Is PAN 2.0, and Do You Need a New PAN Card?

What is PAN 2.0?

PAN 2.0 is a project of the Income Tax Department to rebuild how PAN and TAN services work. TAN is the number that businesses use when they deduct or collect tax (TDS/TCS). The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the project on 25 November 2024, with a budget of ₹1,435 crore.

Today, PAN services are spread over three websites: the Income Tax e-Filing portal, Protean (formerly NSDL e-Gov) and UTIITSL. The government's plan, as described by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), includes:

• One portal run by the Income Tax Department for all PAN and TAN services: new PAN, updates, corrections, online PAN validation, "Know your AO", Aadhaar–PAN linking, "Verify Your PAN", e-PAN requests and card reprints.
• Paperless, online processes.
• Free PAN allotment, updates and corrections, with the e-PAN sent to your registered email.
• Stronger security for personal and demographic data, including a "PAN Data Vault".
• A dynamic QR code that shows the latest details from the PAN database.
• A dedicated call centre and helpdesk.

When the Cabinet approved it, the government also said PAN would become a common identifier for the digital systems of specified government agencies. Which agencies, and from when, has not been spelled out on the official pages we checked.

What will change under PAN 2.0, and what stays the same?

The "PAN 2.0" column shows what the government's November 2024 FAQ says will happen. None of it applies until the new system actually starts.

Is PAN 2.0 live yet?

Not as far as official sources show. On 16 Oct 2026, the Income Tax Department's PAN page still lists Protean and UTIITSL as the places to apply. We found no official notice that the single portal has started. Some websites say PAN 2.0 "has launched", but we found no PIB or Income Tax Department notice backing that. News articles from mid-2026 still described the portal as not fully live.

An 18-month window from August 2025 would point to early 2027. That is only a news estimate, not an official date.

Is the PAN 2.0 card free, or does it cost ₹50?

Both, depending on what you get. According to the government's PAN 2.0 FAQ:

So the e-PAN is planned to be free, and you pay ₹50 only if you want a plastic card in India. These fees start only when PAN 2.0 starts. Until then, today's fees apply, such as ₹107 for a new PAN with a card.

The FAQ also says some free services already exist. You can update your address, email and mobile number online with Aadhaar-based verification on Protean and UTIITSL. This needs an OTP on the mobile linked to your Aadhaar, so update your Aadhaar mobile number first if it has changed. Check the fee shown on the page before you pay. All of today's fees are in our PAN types and fees guide.

Do you need a new PAN card with a QR code?

No. The government says QR codes have been on PAN cards since 2017–18. PAN 2.0 will keep them, and plans a dynamic QR code that shows the latest details in the PAN database.

A QR reader app made for this shows the photo, signature, name, parents' names and date of birth, so an office can check the card is genuine. If your card has no QR code, it is still valid. The FAQ says you can get a card with a QR code under today's system or under PAN 2.0, if you want one.

How do you get an up-to-date card or e-PAN today?

If an office wants a newer card, or yours is lost or worn out, you don't need to wait for PAN 2.0. Order a reprint or download your e-PAN on today's system. Your PAN number stays the same.

1. Check your PAN details first

   On the e-Filing portal, "Verify Your PAN" asks for your PAN, name, date of birth and mobile number. It checks the PAN against the name and date of birth you enter, then shows the PAN status. It is information only and changes nothing. How to verify your PAN →

   You'll know it worked when the portal shows an active status for your PAN with the details you entered.

   If the details don't match: a reprint will copy the same wrong details. File a correction instead.

2. Choose between e-PAN and a printed card

   An e-PAN is a digitally signed PDF of your PAN. It is valid like the card and has a QR code. Download is free for about a month after allotment, and ₹8.26 after that. A printed reprint costs ₹50 in India. The e-PAN PDF is password-protected; our file unlock tool helps you open it in your browser.

3. Open the reprint page on Protean or UTIITSL

   Type the address yourself: onlineservices.proteantech.in or pan.utiitsl.com. Don't use links from messages. Our reprint guide explains which site to use for your PAN. Reprint a PAN card →

4. Confirm with the OTP and pay

   Enter your PAN and the other details asked for. Confirm with the OTP sent to you, then pay ₹50 for an Indian address or ₹959 for a foreign one.

   You'll know it worked when you see a payment receipt and an acknowledgement number. Save both.

   If payment fails but money is debited: wait a day before paying again, then check the status with your acknowledgement number or ask the agency's helpline. PAN helpline numbers →

5. Track the card

   The card comes by post to the address on your PAN record. Track it on the same site you used.

How do you report a fake "PAN 2.0" message?

In July 2025, PIB Fact Check reportedly flagged emails titled "Get Your PAN 2.0 Card". They linked to a fake site copying a government portal. The Income Tax Department's phishing page explains how to report such messages.

1. Stop: don't click or reply

   Fake messages say a "new PAN 2.0 card with QR code" is ready, or that your old PAN will stop working. The real PAN 2.0 needs nothing from you. Don't enter your PAN, Aadhaar, bank details or OTP anywhere the message sends you.

2. Forward it to the Income Tax Department

   Send the email, or the fake website's address, to [email protected]. You can also send a copy to CERT-In, India's cyber security agency, at [email protected]. Forwarding the message as received, or its email header, is enough.

3. Delete the message

   The department's page asks you to delete the message after forwarding it. That stops you or a family member clicking it later.

4. Act fast if you shared details or lost money

   Call the cybercrime helpline 1930 and file a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in. Tell your bank to block cards or UPI if you shared bank details. PAN fraud guide →

   You'll know it worked when you get a complaint or acknowledgement number. Keep it for your bank.

What can go wrong, and how do you fix it?

Bottom line

PAN 2.0 is a planned upgrade of the system, not a new PAN for you. Your card stays valid, and there is nothing to apply for or convert. Until an official launch, use Protean or UTIITSL at today's fees. For help, call Protean on 020-27218080 or UTIITSL on 033-40802999.