Financial Specialist
52 Points
Joined April 2011
Permanent Account Number (PAN) is required under Sec. 139A only if the conditions thereunder are satisfied. Even where a person enters into a transaction, which requires PAN to be cited, but he does not have it, the law provides for filing Form 60 giving details of his identification. Know Your Customer (KYC) norms followed by banks do not also require a bank to insist on PAN for opening a deposit account. There is no sense in a bank insisting on PAN, where the interest on the deposit does not exceed Rs. 10,000 during the year.
Tax is required to be deducted at 10 per cent as provided under Sec. 194A, but at 20 per cent, if PAN is not furnished as provided under Sec. 206AA of the Act. This requirement is applicable only where tax is required to be deducted from the payment exceeding the prescribed limit of Rs. 10,000. The contingency of application of tax either at the prescribed rate of 10 per cent or non-PAN rate at 20 per cent would arise only where the payment exceeds the limit for tax deduction at source. Banks would not, therefore, be right in deducting tax at 20 per cent, when the payment falls short of the limit.