How to Surrender Your PAN Card

A PAN card is a 10-digit permanent account number that the Income Tax Department issues for smooth financial and identification purposes. However, having more than one PAN card can lead to serious trouble, including hefty penalties or even jail time. According to section 139A of the Income Tax Act, 1961, a single person can only have one PAN card, which should be linked to their Aadhaar card. If any individual, company, or firm has more than one PAN card, then they need to apply for cancellation or surrender PAN card. In this blog, we will show you an easy application process to surrender PAN number online and offline. So read this blog to get more information about the cancellation of PAN card.

Why You Need to Surrender Your PAN Card

Here are some of the major reasons for surrender a PAN card:

• If any individual is living or going outside India.
• If the Income Tax Department has issued you 2 PAN cards by mistake.
• If there are mistakes in your existing PAN card.
• In case of the death of a PAN cardholder, his family members need to surrender the PAN of the deceased person, or appeal to the Income Tax Department for the cancellation of the PAN number.
• If any company or firm is dissolved, then the authorised person can appeal for the cancellation of the PAN card of the company or firm.

What If You Have 2 PAN Cards

If you have more than one PAN card, then under section 272B of the Income Tax Act, an Income Tax officer can impose a fine of 10,000/- INR on an individual. To avoid paying a penalty charge, you must surrender your PAN card offline by writing a letter to the Income Tax assessing officer or online from the NSDL website.

According to section 139A of the Income Tax Act, 1961, if an individual, company, or firm has more than one PAN card, then they have to apply for the Surrender of the PAN card. Otherwise, they have to face legal charges or can be jailed for owning two PAN cards. An individual PAN card must be linked with their Aadhaar card to facilitate smooth financial transactions.

Steps to Surrender PAN Card Online

Here are the steps for PAN card surrender online or Cancellation of a PAN card from the NSDL website.

• Step 1: Go to the official NSDL website.
• Step 2: Choose the option ' Changes or correction in existing PAN data/ reprint of PAN card'.
• Step 3: Fill in all the details in the application form.
• Step 4: After your request is successfully submitted, you will receive a token number via the email address mentioned in your PAN Card Correction form, by which you can continue filing your PAN application form.
• Step 5: Click on the option 'Continue with PAN application Form'.
• Step 6: Now, select the method for submitting documents, enter all necessary information, and then click 'Next'.
• Step 7: Tick the checkbox below the contact details in the PAN card correction form, and mention additional PAN for surrendering or cancellation of PAN card, and click on 'Next'.
• Step 8: Upload the necessary documents for PAN card surrender, including proof of identity, date of birth, and proof of address. Then, select the details you wish to update.
• Step 9: Fill out the declaration form correctly and submit it.
• Step 10: If you are surrendering a company or firm's PAN card, then an authorised signatory must sign the PAN card form.
• Step 11: You need to pay the fees for the surrender of the PAN card through a credit card, debit card, or internet banking.
• Step 12: Once you have paid the fees, you will get an acknowledgement slip. If you have selected the physical mode of document submission, you must collect all the required documents and submit the printed PAN card application along with them in an envelope. On top of it, you need to write 'Application for PAN Change', then send it to the:

Income Tax PAN Services Unit,
Protean eGov Technologies Limited,
4th Floor, Sapphire Chambers,
Baner Road, Baner, Pune- 411045.

In case if you want to surrender all the PAN cards allocated to you, then you need to mention other permanent account numbers and submit the corresponding PAN card with the application form.

How to Surrender PAN Card Offline

You can submit your Surrender of PAN card offline by two methods.

By Visiting PAN Centre

• Step 1: You can visit the PAN center to request a new PAN card or make corrections to your existing PAN card. You can also download the PAN card correction form from the Income Tax Department website.
• Step 2: Fill in the PAN card application form, and under item number 11 form, enter the PAN number that you want to cancel or surrender.
• Step 3: After filling out the PAN card application, you need to submit it at your nearest PAN centre with all the supporting documents, and PAN card that you want to surrender.
• Step 4: After the successful submission of the PAN card application form, you will get an acknowledgement slip.

By Writing a Letter to the Income Tax Assessing Officer

To surrender or cancelling the PAN card offline, you can write a letter to the assessing officer of the Income Tax Department. The letter should have correct details that match the documents you provided, with a valid reason for surrendering your PAN number.

Here are the details that you need to mention for canceling the PAN card:

• Name: Please provide your full name, which must match the name on your PAN card.
• Address: Please provide your valid residential address, as listed on your government-issued ID.
• Accurate PAN Card Information: You need to provide the PAN card details correctly to surrender PAN card.

Once you have submitted your letter to the income tax officer, you need to collect an acknowledgment copy of the letter. It acts as proof that the IT department has securely collected your extra PAN card, which is issued to you by the Income Tax Department.

Surrender Process for a PAN Card of a Company or Firm

Here is the online and offline process to surrender a PAN card in case of any company, LLP (Limited Liability Partnership), or firm dissolution.

Online Process

For the online process, you can apply for the surrender of a PAN card for the company or firm dissolution from the official NSDL website, by following the steps given below:

• Step 1: Go to the official NSDL website.
• Step 2: Select 'Changes or correction in existing PAN data/ reprint of PAN card', and fill the online application form.
• Step 3: Enter the PAN number that you want to surrender or cancel, and mention other PAN numbers if they are allocated to the name of the company or firm by the Income Tax Department by mistake.
• Step 4: Pay the required fees for the surrender of the PAN number and submit the application form.
• Step 5: Print the acknowledgement slip and send it to the Income Tax PAN Services unit in Pune with all the supporting documents.

Offline Process

Follow the given steps below to apply surrender of a PAN card in case of a company or firm dissolution.

• Step 1: You need to write a letter to the income tax officer under whose jurisdiction the company or firm that was filing taxes.
• Step 2: You need to mention the name of the company or firm that is dissolved for the surrender of the PAN card.
• Step 3: Attach all supporting documents to the PAN card surrender application, including a copy of the PAN card you wish to surrender.
• Step 4: Submit your PAN Card Application form with all the documents to the Income Tax Officer and get the acknowledgment slip.

Cancellation of PAN Card of a Deceased Person

If any person has died, then the family members of the deceased PAN cardholder can write a letter to the income tax officer, or the respective jurisdiction to surrender or cancel the PAN card of the deceased person. In the letter, the family members should mention the reason for surrender of the PAN card, which is due to the death of the PAN cardholder. They also need to provide the deceased's PAN cardholder information, like name, PAN number, and date of birth, with the death certificate attached to the letter. The same process is applicable for the demise of any Indian national, NRI, or foreign national.

How to Cancel a PAN Card in Use

It is not advisable to surrender your only PAN card, which you use daily for financial and identification purposes. It helps you file your ITR returns, buy or sell property, make investments in shares or bonds, and handle easy payments and transactions. However, if you are leaving India, then you need to pay taxes in India. So, you need to apply for the surrender of your PAN card to the Income Tax Department by writing a letter to the Income Tax assessing officer for the cancellation of the PAN card. You need to provide a valid reason for surrendering the PAN card, with personal details such as name, nationality, PAN number, and address. Once the Income Tax Officer cancels your PAN, you need to submit your Physical PAN card to the Income Tax office.

How to Check the PAN Card Cancellation Status

Follow the given steps below to check the status of your Surrender of PAN card application.

• Step 1: Go to the official website of the Income Tax e-filing.
• Step 2: Choose the option ' Verify PAN Status' below the quick links.
• Step 3: Enter the required details, such as PAN number, mobile number, and date of birth, and then click the 'Continue' button.
• Step 4: Enter the OTP you received on your registered mobile number, and click on the 'validate' option.
• Step 5: Now you can see the status of your surrendered PAN card application displayed on your screen.

Points to Consider Before Applying for Cancellation or Surrender of PAN Card

Here are some key points to consider when applying for a PAN card surrender.

• Mention the Reason for Surrender: You need to mention the valid reason for surrendering your PAN number, like due to the issuance of two PAN cards by mistake, leaving India, or any other reason.
• Verification of Documents: You must provide the verified and correct documents for the surrender of the PAN card, like valid proof of address, identity proof, and proof of date of birth.
• Method for Surrendering PAN Card: You need to choose the method to surrender your PAN card application, like offline or online, according to your preference, considering all the factors.
• Always Read the Guidelines: Before applying for the surrender of a PAN card, you need to read the guidelines for a smooth and error-free application process. You should review your application before surrendering, and gather all the documents before applying for a surrender of a PAN card.
• Reach Out for Support: If you encounter any issues with an application process, documentation, or have questions that need clarification, you can contact the customer support of the Income Tax Department helpline number, which is 202-27218080.
• Update Your Records: You need to update your records for the surrendered PAN Number, notify all the banks and relevant authorities where you have given your PAN card information, and update them about the surrender of the PAN card to avoid future complications.
• Keeps Copies and Receipts: You need to keep copies of all the documents you have submitted for your surrender of PAN number, with all the fee receipts and acknowledgment slips.
• Follow Ups: If you don't get your acknowledgement slip or a response after submitting a PAN card, then you need to take the help of the Income Tax Department and follow up on their process on the status of the PAN card surrender application.

Every Indian citizen should have a valid PAN card. However, owning more than a single PAN card can lead you into serious trouble under Section 272B of the Income Tax Act. In such scenarios, you should apply for a surrender of a PAN card from the NSDL website or write a letter to the Income Tax assessing officer. You can visit the Visament website to get more information about the PAN card and its related services.