Feb 23 Last Date for sureendering duplicate PAN

New Delhi, Feb 12(UNI) The Income Tax department today appealed to all persons who possess more than one PAN number to retain just one PAN and surrender all extra PAN numbers that may have been allotted to them by February 23, 2007.

''This is the final opportunity given by the Income Tax Department and henceforth if any person is found to possess more than 1 PAN number, he will be liable to penal action,'' a Finance Ministry release said here.

The release said the extra PAN numbers could be surrendered using one of the several modes of surrender: (1) Help Desk set up in Income Tax offices all over the country set up for this purpose; (2) the Assessing Officer ; (3) web-site of the Department www.incometaxindia.gov.in and (iv) Aayakar Sampark Kendra (ASK) at 0124-2438000.

''It has come to the notice of the Income Tax department that some persons are involved in forgery of getting PAN numbers allotted to fictitious persons or getting more than I PAN numbers allotted to the same person using different identities. The Department has taken action against all such cases, which have come to its notice,'' the Department said.

UNI