If you have a post office account or invest in any post office scheme, an important rule has changed. Now, you cannot deposit or withdraw money without a PAN card.
This update has been introduced under the Income Tax Act, 2026 and applies to all financial transactions.
Whether your account is with the post office or the Indian Post Payments Bank, submitting your PAN card is now compulsory.
PAN Now Required for All Transactions
As per the new guidelines, PAN is mandatory for almost every activity. This includes opening a new account, depositing money, withdrawing funds, or investing in schemes like fixed deposits.
These rules fall under multiple provisions of the Income Tax Rules, 2026. The main aim is to bring more transparency into the system, keep track of high-value transactions, and reduce tax evasion.
In simple terms, the government wants to ensure that all financial activities are properly recorded and monitored.
What If You Don’t Have a PAN Card?
If you don’t have a PAN card, you can still carry out transactions, but with extra steps.
Earlier, people without PAN had to submit Form 60. Now, this has been replaced with Form 97. You will need to provide details like your name, address, type of transaction, and valid supporting documents.
Post offices will collect and maintain this information to ensure such transactions are properly recorded under the tax system.
Forms 15G and 15H Replaced
There’s another important update related to tax-saving forms.
Earlier, people used Form 15G (for those below 60 years) and Form 15H (for senior citizens) to avoid TDS on interest income. Now, both forms have been merged into a single new form called Form 121.
This form must be submitted every financial year, but only if your total taxable income is zero.
