Tax Administration Goes Digital: No Need to Visit Tax Office for Personal PAN or Tax Clearance

The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) is set to remove the requirement for taxpayers to visit tax offices for biometric verification while applying for a personal Permanent Account Number (PAN) starting from Monday, November 17, 2025.

Until now, applicants could fill out PAN details online but had to visit the tax office for biometric verification. Under the new system, the biometric data stored in the national identity card will be linked directly to the PAN, eliminating the need for in-person verification. Applicants will also be able to print their PAN card themselves after submitting the required details online.

An IRD official said the department has already finalized arrangements to ensure personal PAN applicants no longer need to visit the office for biometrics. “All necessary information will be extracted from the national ID, and taxpayers will be able to print their personal PAN themselves,” the official said. Those without a national ID, however, may still need to visit the office for biometrics.

According to the IRD, this reform is part of its plan to fully digitize the tax administration. On the occasion of National Tax Day on Mangsir 1 (November 17), the department will roll out the system allowing taxpayers to obtain personal PAN and tax clearance certificates entirely online.

The official also said that beginning Monday, taxpayers with a single source of employment will no longer need to visit tax offices to obtain tax clearance certificates. “If a taxpayer has only one job, they can fill out the required details online and print their tax clearance certificate from home,” the official told New Business Age.

The department aims to digitize 90 percent of tax-related processes from the next fiscal year, and fully digitize tax services by FY2027/28. Taxpayers earning below Rs 4 million annually and receiving income from only one employer will be able to obtain tax clearance certificates online. Those earning above Rs 4 million or drawing income from multiple employers will still need to visit tax offices to obtain the certificate.

The IRD said simplifying the PAN system will reduce paperwork and administrative hassles. The shift toward digital tax services is expected to enhance transparency and significantly expand taxpayers’ access to services.