How to cancel PAN Card after death?

To CANCEL the PAN of a DECEASED assessee, you have to SURRENDER the ORIGINAL PAN card to the office of the ASSESSING OFFICER (A.O). with a request letter for the same,
mentioning therein the PARTICULARS of the EXPIRED Assessee as follows:
1. Name of the DECEASED Assessee, as it appears on the PAN card.
2.Father''s Name of the DECEASED Assessee, as it appears on the PAN card.
3. Date of Birth of the DECEASED Assesee, as it appears on the PAN card.

You MUST preferably get the Request letter TYPED by a ''computer software'', as hand written letter may not be legible to read.

On the TOP RIGHT CORNER of the Request letter , you must type the PAN number of the
DECEASED ASSESSEE in BOLD LETTERS.
Write a SUBJECT line , mentioning that you are Surrendering the PAN NUMBER belonging to , due to the DEATH
Then, in the REQUEST LETTER, you MUST MENTION the REASON for surrendering the PAN-- which is the DEATH OF THE PAN HOLDER.
Herein, you MUST mention the date on which the ASSESSEE has EXPIRED AND YOUR RELATION with the DECEASED ASSESSEE.

You need to ATTACH a COPY of the DEATH CERTIFICATE of the Deceased assessee.
And you MUST FIRMLY STAPLE THE ORIGINAL PAN CARD at the TOP of the Request LETTER , as part of the request letter.

Once when the Request Letter is typed correctly - double check you have mentioned the correct particulars IN the request letter.
Check before submitting, the Assessing Officer UNDER whose jurisdiction the PAN of the Deceased falls.
You must then address the letter to the AO of that ward.

If you do not know the jurisdictional Assessing Officer(AO), of the PAN holder, then you can
go to the incometax website and click on the KNOW YOUR JURISDICTION link.
There, type in the details of the PAN holder and it will show you the name and number of the Ward under whose jurisdiction the PAN comes.

When you find that all the particulars mentioned in the request letter are correct, take a CLEAR CRISP PRINTOUT , first on the ordinary paper.
Check once again in the PRINTED copy that all is ok.
If satisfied that the LETTER is printed with correct particulars, then take a PRINTOUT of the same on A4 BOND PAPER.
BOND paper must be of good quality, since you have to STAPLE the ORIGINAL PAN card to it.
Now, the LEGAL HEIR of the deceased must SIGN the letter. I hope you have mentioned the name of the LEGAL HEIR and the address and Mobile number at the bottom.
You must also mention the date of writing the letter.
Also mention as ENCLOSURES the documents that you are attaching with the request letter:
ENCLOSED:
1. Copy of the PAN card of the DECEASED assessee.
2.Copy of the DEATH certificate of the DECEASED assessee.

Now, with the Request Letter printed on a BOND PAPER, and the ORIGINAL PAN card firmly attached to it(stapled) and the LEGAL HEIR having signed the letter, you MUST GET A CLEAR PHOTOCOPY of the request letter, in the form it is to be submitted, on a BOND PAPER of very GOOD QUALITY.
I have purposely used a BOND PAPER because you take the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT from the Aaykar Sampark Kendra ON the PHOTOCOY, wherin they will PASTE a sticker having a bar code and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT number.
Since this acknowledgment has to be preserved lifelong as a PROOF of SURRENDER of PAN card, it it better to use a BOND PAPER for the same.

If in the future, any query arises from the INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT regarding the surrendered pan, you need to show the acknowledgement that you have SURRENDERED the PAN on such and such a date.

You must submit this letter to the ASK (Aaykar Sampark Kendra) and obtain the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT on the PHOTOCOPY of the request letter, on a BOND paper.
Now, you need to PRESERVE this ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SAFELY AND SECURELY.
Make a file of the DECEASED assessee at home and file in the ORIGINAL Acknowledgement OF THE surrender of the pan.
Also, make a few(CLEAR) PHOTOcopies of the ORIGINAL acknowledgement of the request letter through which you have SURRENDERED the PAN of the DECEASED assessee and keep them for future use.


AFTER, you have SURRENDERED the PAN of the DECEASED assessee, the INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT (ITD), would make a check against the surrendered PAN to verify if any dues , Refunds or any CASE against the PAN is pending. If there is any DEMAND of tax against the surrenderd PAN, that must be discharged by the LEGAL HEIR who is SURRENDERING
THE PAN.
When the computer records show that there are NO demands, no dues, no refunds, no cases pending against the PAN , then the ITD would DEACTIVATE or DELETE the PAN forever.
If the ITD the list of the pan PERMANENTLY.
But, if ITD merely DEACTIVATES the PAN , then the STATUS of the PAN would NOT remain ACTIVE, but the PAN would continue to exist in the records of the department.

--citizenIndia001--

Dear Sir,

Thank you very much for explaining so clearly with reason.
It will help me and other readers to process it in proper and safe way.

Again thanking your.

Dear Friends,

There is NO ONLINE METHOD to surrender PAN in case of DEATH of the pan holder.
IF someone tells you that you should contact NSDL for that, it is NOT correct.
NSDL online method is for surrendering DUPLICATE form.
In case of DEATH of pan holder, after clearing all RETURN Filing formalities,
you need to MANUALLY surrender the pan at the office of the ASSESSING OFFICER
UNDER WHOSE JURISDICTION THE PAN OF THE DECEASED PERSON COMES.
The BEST answer is by a CA with PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE found on this page
(you need not go anywhere else)