You may soon get PAN card in minutes. Here’s how

Getting a permanent account number and paying income tax won’t be a pain anymore as you may soon able to get them done through your smartphone in minutes.

In a move to make things easier for taxpayers, the Central Board of Direct Taxes is working on issuing PAN on a real-time basis using Aadhaar's e-KYC facility, which allows an individual to verify his or her details such as address using biometric identification features like thumb impressions.

"If a SIM can be issued through e- KYC, then the same can be done for PAN," an officer adding that the process may be crunched to five-six minutes from two-three weeks at present, told ET.

While the number will be issued, the card will be delivered later. The CBDT and the ministry of corporate affairs have ties already to issue PAN to new companies incorporating through a combined form in four hours.

The idea, again, is to move to real-time issuing of PAN, which will also become the business identification number for companies.

An app is also being developed and it will help you pay taxes online and perform a host of other services such as apply for PAN or track your returns.

While the department is offering several services online through its portal, the app is expected to make life simpler for seniors as well as young taxpayers.

The two projects are being done in-house with the directorate of systems coordinating with CBDT, said sources