Last verified: 27 October 2026. The official GST Portal has Search Taxpayer → Search by PAN. It can show GST registrations linked to a PAN, even when you do not know the GSTIN. Open each result and check its current status and profile separately. The portal also has a way for a PAN holder to report a registration taken without their knowledge. See the GSTN PAN-misuse guide Official ↗ and Search Taxpayer manual Official ↗.
You may have a vendor's PAN but no GST number, or you may want to know whether someone has registered under your own PAN. Both are sensible reasons to start with a PAN search. The next step matters just as much: a result is a lead to a specific GSTIN, not proof that an invoice, bank account or input tax credit (ITC) claim is valid.
Quick answer: How do I find GSTINs by PAN?
- Visit the official GST Portal Official ↗.
- Choose Search Taxpayer → Search by PAN. You can use this feature before login; follow the portal's current captcha or verification prompts.
- Enter the 10-character PAN accurately and select Search.
- Review the registrations displayed for that PAN across states and Union territories. If the portal says “No records found”, it has not returned a registration for the PAN entered.
- Open the relevant GSTIN/UIN result and review its detailed taxpayer profile, registration status and filing information. For a purchase, match the result with the GSTIN on the supplier's invoice.
Search the PAN that belongs to the taxable entity. For a proprietorship, the proprietor's PAN is used. A company's GSTIN is linked to the company's PAN, not a director's personal PAN.
1. What a PAN search shows—and what it does not
GST registration is generally PAN-based. A business can have registrations in more than one state or, where permitted, separate registrations under the same PAN. The GSTN's functionality note Official ↗ says Search by PAN lets users see the registrations linked to the PAN, and the PAN-misuse guide Official ↗ describes the list and the “No records found” response.
| Your question | Use this portal route | What to check next |
|---|---|---|
“Which GST numbers are linked to this PAN?” | Search Taxpayer → Search by PAN | Open each GSTIN and identify its state and status |
“Is this number active and who is registered under it?” | Search Taxpayer → Search by GSTIN/UIN | Match legal name, trade name, registration dates and status |
“Has my PAN been used to take an unknown registration?” | Search by PAN, then Report the suspicious entry | Complete identity verification and retain the complaint reference |
“Can I claim ITC on this purchase?” | Check the GSTIN and then your own records/returns | Apply the relevant legal conditions; a search result alone is insufficient |
A PAN search does not certify that every listed registration is currently active. Check the status of each GSTIN and the relevant dates. Likewise, “No records found” refers to the PAN entered and the search result at that time; first recheck typing and the correct entity PAN.
2. Search by PAN: Step-by-step example
Suppose a supplier sends you its PAN but omits the GSTIN from a quotation. Search that PAN on the GST Portal. The result may show separate registrations in different states. If the supplier invoices from Odisha, identify the relevant Odisha GSTIN, open its profile, and compare the legal name and registration status with the supplier's documents. Do not copy a different state's GSTIN merely because it shares the same PAN.
GST Search by PAN
-
Open the official portal
Go to gst.gov.in Official ↗ and select Search Taxpayer → Search by PAN.
-
Enter the PAN
Type the entity's 10-character PAN and complete the portal's verification prompt.
-
Review the list
Note each GSTIN, state and status displayed. Recheck the PAN if no record is found.
-
Open a GSTIN
Select the registration you need and read its detailed profile.
-
Match your documents
Compare the legal name, GSTIN, state and status with the invoice or contract.
-
Keep an audit trail
Note the verification date and the GSTIN reviewed in your vendor records.
The exact screen labels may change. Use the live portal rather than a saved screenshot when performing a real verification.
3. Verify the GSTIN itself before accepting an invoice
The GST Portal's Search Taxpayer manual Official ↗ confirms that GSTIN/UIN profile searches are available without login. Use Search Taxpayer → Search by GSTIN/UIN, enter the number and captcha, and review the result.
Pre-login results can include the legal and trade names, effective date of registration, constitution, taxpayer type, GSTIN status, principal place of business, cancellation date where applicable, and return filing details. The portal may show additional information after login. It also describes a Show Filing Table for selecting a financial year and checking filing details. A suspended or cancelled status needs particular attention to its effective date.
A useful vendor check
- Does the GSTIN on the invoice exactly match the number searched?
- Does the legal name align with the contracting party? A trade name may differ from the legal name.
- Is the registration active on the relevant date? Review any suspension or cancellation information rather than relying only on today's status.
- Is the state and principal place of business consistent with the transaction? A supplier may have multiple registrations under one PAN.
- Are return filing details relevant to your reconciliation? Filing history is an indicator, not a guarantee that a particular invoice was reported or paid.
4. How to read the 15-character GSTIN
Under the GST registration rules Official ↗, a GSTIN has 15 characters: the first two represent the state code, the next ten the PAN (or TAN where applicable to specified registrations), the next two the entity code, and the last a checksum character.
For a normal PAN-based supplier GSTIN, compare characters 3 to 12 with the PAN supplied by the business. This catches a mismatch, but matching characters are not a substitute for an official status search. A structurally plausible number may still be cancelled or unrelated to the invoice presented.
Do not ask a vendor to send OTPs, portal passwords or Aadhaar credentials for a public GSTIN check. The portal's public search does not require you to log into the vendor's account.
5. What if your PAN shows a GST registration you never applied for?
GSTN provides a reporting process for misuse of PAN Official ↗. Search your own PAN, identify the unfamiliar GSTIN, and use the portal's Report option for the relevant registration. The guide says a person affected may report it directly or through an authorised representative. It describes identity details, mobile and email validation, and Aadhaar authentication for the applicable complaint flow. The complaint goes to the jurisdictional authority for enquiry and suitable action.
Do not mark a known registration as fraudulent merely because a different branch or state appears: first check the entity's records and ask its authorised signatory. Keep the complaint reference, copies of supporting evidence and any follow-up correspondence. A complaint starts an enquiry; it does not itself cancel the GSTIN immediately.
6. Does an active GSTIN guarantee input tax credit?
No. An active registration confirms only the portal status shown for that GSTIN at the time of checking. It does not establish that goods or services were supplied, the invoice is genuine, the supplier reported the particular invoice, the bank details are safe, or the recipient meets the ITC conditions in section 16 of the CGST Act and other applicable rules. CBIC's section 16 guidance Official ↗ illustrates that ITC questions require the relevant statutory conditions and transaction facts.
Use the PAN/GSTIN search as one part of your onboarding and reconcile the invoice through your normal GST records and return process. A cancellation or suspension issue should be assessed against the date and facts of the supply, rather than treated as an automatic answer for every past invoice.
7. Troubleshooting common search problems
“No records found”
Check every PAN character, confirm that you used the entity's PAN, and try the official portal again. It can also mean there is no registration returned for that PAN. Do not infer a GSTIN from the PAN alone.
Several GSTINs appear
This can be normal for a business operating in multiple states or holding permitted separate registrations. Match the exact GSTIN and state used on the invoice; verify each relevant result individually.
The GSTIN on the invoice is different from the PAN supplied
Compare the GSTIN's embedded PAN and the legal name on the portal. Ask the supplier to explain the mismatch before accepting the invoice details. A trade name by itself does not resolve a different legal entity.
The result says suspended or cancelled
Open the profile for the effective date and contact the supplier. Preserve the search date and transaction documents, and review GST treatment with the relevant facts before accounting for tax or ITC.
A third-party lookup gives a different result
Use the live GST Portal Official ↗ as the verification source. Third-party databases may not reflect the current status or full official record.
GST search checklist for businesses
- ○ Search the correct entity PAN on the official GST Portal Official ↗.
- ○ Record every relevant GSTIN returned and its state.
- ○ Search the GSTIN shown on the actual invoice.
- ○ Match legal name, trade name and principal place of business as relevant.
- ○ Check status and effective dates for the transaction.
- ○ Review available return-filing details and reconcile the specific invoice separately.
- ○ Verify the payment beneficiary through your normal bank-detail control.
- ○ Save the date and outcome of the verification in your vendor file.
Official sources
- GST Portal Official ↗ — live Search Taxpayer facility.
- GSTN: functionality to check misuse of PAN Official ↗ — PAN search, reporting and complaint workflow.
- GSTN: July–September 2021 functionality note Official ↗ — linked registrations and complaint tracking.
- GST Portal: Search Taxpayer manual Official ↗ — GSTIN/UIN profile and filing table.
- GST Portal: Search Taxpayer FAQ Official ↗ — pre-login and post-login fields.
- CBIC: GST registration rules Official ↗ — GSTIN format.
Need GST registration or return support?
TaxQue can help you register the correct business entity, review a GSTIN discrepancy, and organise your return and vendor reconciliation process.
Information note: This guide explains the public portal workflow and general compliance checks. For an invoice or ITC dispute, assess the transaction dates, documents and applicable law individually.
