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About this tool
Check PAN structure offline and decode the fourth character to reveal whether the holder is an individual, company, firm, HUF or trust.
A PAN is ten characters in the pattern AAAAA9999A, and its fourth character encodes the status of the holder — P for an individual, C for a company, H for a Hindu Undivided Family, F for a firm, T for a trust. This tool checks that structure offline, decodes the status code, and optionally tests the fifth character against a surname, which is where most PAN-name mismatches come from. It suits accounts teams validating vendor masters and developers who want a client-side check before calling a verification API.
Open PAN Format Validator and Type Decoder on AltFTool — it loads instantly in your browser.
Paste your code or data sample into the workspace.
Pick the format, conversion, or analysis you need.
Copy the polished result straight back into your project.
Maps all twelve status characters, flagging the two that are rarely used.
Compares the fifth character with the surname or entity name you supply.
Produces a masked form that keeps the status code readable but hides the identifying digits.
It is the status of the holder. P means an individual, C a company, H a Hindu Undivided Family, F a firm, A an association of persons, T a trust, B a body of individuals, L a local authority, J an artificial juridical person and G a government body; E is used on newer LLP allotments.
Because the fifth character of a PAN is the first letter of the surname for an individual, not the first name. If your PAN reads ABCPK1234M and your surname is Kumar, the K is correct even though your given name starts with a different letter.
Only its structure. The tenth character is a check character generated by the Income Tax Department using an algorithm that has never been published, so an offline tool cannot confirm that a PAN was actually issued. Use the e-filing portal's Verify your PAN service for that.
Section 272B provides a penalty of Rs 10,000 for quoting a false PAN in any document where it is required. Separately, a landlord's PAN must be reported to your employer once annual rent exceeds Rs 1,00,000, per CBDT Circular No. 8/2013, or the HRA exemption can be denied.