Can an application for TAN be made on a plain paper?

Ans. No. TAN Application can be made only on Form 49B. The application form can be downloaded from the website of the Income Tax Department (www.incometaxindia.gov.in) or NSDL (https://www.protean-tinpan.com​) or obtained from any other source. The application is also available at TIN Facilitation Centres.​