Decoded: What your PAN number reveals about you

Ever wondered what those alphabets and numbers in your Permanent Account Number (PAN) actually mean? There a lot behind the number and it actually contains a bits of your personal information, that can tell a thing or two about you.

Given it has to be used in every purchase of a financial instrument, the PAN tells the Income Tax departments about all your transactions.

[caption id=“attachment_53597” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  A representational image of the PAN card.[/caption]

The PAN number is a alpha-numeric number made of 10 digits assigned to your identity, manly used for income tax related matters.

The first 5 digits are alphabets, the next four are numbers and the last is an alphabet again. Here’s what they mean:

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1. The first three characters are letters between AAA to ZZZ based on random selection. It could be any combination of letters like AWS or ZUI.

2)The fourth character tells you more about the status of the PAN holder. For instance, if the fourth character is the letter “P”, it means its for an individual or a person. C stands for a company that have PAN numbers. H stands for Hindu Hindu Undivided Family, F stands for a firm, A for association of persons, T for trust, B body of individuals, L for local authority, J for artificial juridical person and G stands for government.

3. The fifth character is the same as the first letter in your surname. For instance, somebody with the name Ramesh Shah will have S as the fifth character on his PAN.

4. The next four characters are based a random selection a number between 1001 to 9999.

5. The tenth digit in PAN is based on a formula which takes into account the first nine digits.