What is an Employer Certificate to Apply for a PAN Card?
An employer certificate is among the many documents accepted as address evidence when applying for a PAN card. It is valid under Rule 144(4) of the Income Tax Rules 1962. However, the employer certificate can be accepted as evidence of address for salaried people and those who belong to the Hindu Undivided Family (HUF).
An employer certificate to apply for PAN card is required when you do not have any other documents as address proof. But before you consider using your employer certificate, you need to familiarise yourself with all the applications you must fill out to use your employer certificate as proof of address.
Discover all About Employer Certificate to be an Address Proof
An employer certificate is a document where your employer will verify that you reside at a specific address and the location is confirmed. Generally, every company performs a background check on the person they are hiring as part of the recruitment process. The background check includes address verification. Once you provide the employer certificate to apply for PAN card, the Income Tax Department considers it valid proof of your residential address.
Annexure-B: The PAN Application for Employer Certificate
If you want to use your employer certificate as address proof for your PAN application, then half of the process will have to be completed by your employer. The Income Tax Department gives half the task to your employer, who must submit a certificate similar to Annexure-B with your address and provide proof that you are employed with them. The certificate must also have the original letterhead of your organisation.
Downloading Annexure-B PAN Application
The employer certificate or Annexure-B is easy to download, and you can get it through the website of UTI Infrastructure Technology (UTI-ITSL) or the Tax Information Network of the IT Department (TIN-NSDL). You can find the form in UTI-ITSL under the services section. From there, you need to head to your PAN card, click on the option of applying for a new PAN card and then get Annexure-B.
You can also find the Annexure-B form on the TIN-NSDL website under the option of PAN in the downloads section.
When Should Annexure-B be Used as an Address Proof?
There can be instances where you cannot obtain your address proof instantly; the reasons may include moving to a new place or a new home. In those cases, you can use Annexure-B as address proof. You can further use that form as proof of office address since your employer will also include their address in the document.
Information Required for Filling the Annexure-B Form
There are several pieces of information needed for the Annexure-B form to be filled. The information includes:
- Your employer must deliver the certificate with the organisation’s original letterhead.
- You must attach a passport-sized photograph similar to the one you used in your PAN application to the certificate. At the same time, your employer should have confirmed the photograph with a stamp and sign.
- The details that must be included in the Annexure-B form include the following:
- Your full name
- Your father’s name
- Years of experience with the company
- Residential address
- Office address
- PAN number of the organisation
- Registration number of the organisation
- Your PAN number
- Details of your employer issuing the certificate, including their name, PAN number, designation, telephone number, office address, phone number, and email address.
- The Annexure-B form should also have your employer’s signature and the organisation’s official seal at the bottom.
Once you have completed the form, you can attach it and submit it with your PAN application.
Apply for a PAN Card with Alternative Address Proof
You can use an employer certificate to apply for PAN card, but there are also some other alternatives that you can use as address proof. Some of the other alternate documents that can be used for address proof include the following:
- Aadhar card
- Passport
- Driving license
- Bill for a broadband connection or a landline phone
- Electricity bill (not older than three months)
- Water bill (not older than three months)
- Bank account statements (not older than three months)
- Piped gas bill or gas connection card (not older than three months)
- Statement of credit card use
- Statement of Depository Account
- Spouse passport
- Domicile certificate
- Latest property tax assessment
- Post office passbook
- Property registration document
Conclusion
The employer certificate to apply for PAN card is incredibly useful when you have no other address proof to provide with your PAN card application. However, it's incredibly important that your employer certificate follows the structure of Annexure-B. Moreover, your employer certificate needs to be more than just your information; it must also have your employer’s details. At the same time, before you start exploring Annexure-B and the employer certificate, you must look for other documents that may work as address proof.
Finding an alternate address proof can be far easier than acquiring an employer certificate in some instances. However, the usefulness of the certificate is still prevalent when it might turn out to be the document that gets you a new PAN card.
Can you apply for a PAN card without having an Aadhar card?
The Aadhar card is a supporting document important as an address proof. If you don’t have an Aadhar card, you can always get some other address proof to support your PAN application.
What is the minimum age for getting a PAN card?
Technically, there is no age restriction for getting a PAN card. Children under five can also apply for a PAN card according to the Income Tax Act’s section 160, provided certain conditions are fulfilled.
How to get a PAN card as a non-resident?
You can apply for a PAN card using form no. 49 as a non-resident Indian, along with ensuring that you have all the necessary documents and pay the fees required for the card.
Is it mandatory to submit the employer certificate with the PAN card application?
The employer certificate will be submitted with the PAN application only when you have no other proof of residence. Employer certificate is only an optional address proof, and if you have any other choice, then you don’t have to submit the certificate.
How do I get an employer certificate?
Your employer should provide the employer certificate. The employer certificate will have your address and other information along with the employer’s details.