Every Indian citizen gets a Permanent Account Number (PAN), which is a valid proof of identity in the country, and it identifies every taxpayer in India. According to laws, an Indian citizen should not hold more than one PAN card. If you receive a duplicate PAN card due to multiple applications, you must surrender the additional card.

Are you planning to surrender a duplicate PAN? This article will give you the details of the ways to do this.

One can apply for the surrender of an additional PAN Card through an online and offline process. Both the process are as follows:

Steps to Apply for the Surrender of Additional PAN Online

People often wonder how to surrender duplicate PAN cards and fear the complicated process of doing so. As a result, they might avoid this process, which leads to penalties and negative consequences. Here are the steps to surrender or cancel an additional PAN online.

Step 1: Visit the official web portal of NSDL. Bring the cursor to the "Services” tab

Step 2: Click on the option of "PAN" from the drop-down list. Scroll down to the "Change/Correction in PAN Data” section

Step 3: Click on “Apply” in this section. It will open an application form

Step 4: Click on "Application Type" and choose "Changes or Correction in existing PAN Data/ Reprint of PAN Card (No changes in existing PAN Data)". Fill in the rest of the form

Step 5: Click on "Submit" after completing the form. Then, click on the "Continue with PAN Application Form” option

Step 6: On the redirected page, click "Submit scanned images through e-Sign". Here, you will have to update your original and duplicate PAN details

Step 7: Fill in your personal details and click on "Next". Upload scanned images of the photograph and authorising signature. Further, they should upload a signed acknowledgement report

Step 8: Proceed to make the payment and download the receipt after payment. Send the printed copy of the acknowledgement to the NSDL eGovernment with two passport-size photographs

Remember to label the envelope under “Application for PAN Cancellation along with the Acknowledgment Number” before sending it out. You can post it to the following address:

NSDL e-Gov at ‘Income Tax PAN Services Unit,

NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Limited,

5th Floor, Mantri Sterling,

Plot No. 341, Survey No. 997/8,

Model Colony, Near Deep Bungalow Chowk,

Pune – 411 016

Steps to Apply for the Surrender of Additional PAN Offline

Some people might not be comfortable surrendering a duplicate PAN card online, and they can consider the following steps for an offline mode.

Step 1: Download "Request For New PAN Card Or/And Changes Or Correction in PAN Data" or procure it from an Income Tax Office. Fill it out with your details

Step 2: Submit the filled form to your nearest NSDL collection centre. Include your documents with the form and receive the acknowledgement slip

Step 3: Post a letter to the Assessing Officer listing the details of your duplicate PAN, requesting a cancellation. Otherwise, you can meet the nearest Income Tax Assessing Officer, submit this letter in person, and save the acknowledgement number

As per the Income Tax Act of India, an Indian citizen cannot hold more than one PAN card, leading to monetary penalties and even the possibility of prison. If you applied for a second PAN card for some problems with the first one, you need to surrender the first card to NSDL. Otherwise, the government will have databases for two PAN cards belonging to a single citizen, which will lead to serious complications in the future.

The Indian government and laws penalise Indian citizens who possess more than one PAN card. Section 139A of the Income Tax Act makes it mandatory for one citizen to hold only one PAN. Therefore, if a Tax Office discovers an individual holding multiple PAN cards, he/she can charge ₹ 10,000, following Section 272B of the Income Tax Act.

In order to avoid this penalty, you need to ensure that you do not possess more than one PAN card. Sometimes, you might receive an additional card if you apply for a second one due to errors in the first one. In this case, you can simply surrender the first one to avoid penalties and future complications.

Thus, as this article pointed out, you should surrender a duplicate PAN to avoid the possibility of penalties. As per the laws, you cannot possess more than one PAN card. Hence, surrender it through the NSDL website easily, even if you have a duplicate card. You can easily complete this process free of hassles.