The Income Tax Department has clarified that existing PAN cards of taxpayers and individuals are valid even without the QR code under the PAN 2.0 project. Allotment, updation or correction of PAN will be done free of cost and e-PAN will be sent to the registered mail id.

The Income Tax Department's PAN 2.0 offers digital e-PAN cards with a QR code for enhanced security, free for up to three requests. Physical PAN cards cost Rs. 50 domestically and Rs. 15 plus postal charges internationally.

The PAN 2.0 Project is an e-Governance project of the Income Tax Department aimed at re-engineering the business processes related to taxpayer registration services. The project's objective is to improve the quality of PAN services by incorporating the latest technology.