Did you know charitable deeds and compassion can help you save tax? Section 80G of the Indian Income tax Act provides provisions for that. As per 80G, you can deduct your donations to Central and State Relief Funds, NGOs and other charitable institutions from your total income to arrive at your taxable income. In this article, we will tell you how and when to claim deductions on donations made to Charitable Trusts and NGOs.
In this article, we cover the following:
1. Charitable Trusts – A brief Introduction
“The word ‘Charity’ connotes altruism in thought and action. It involves an idea of benefiting others rather than oneself” Supreme Court in the case Andhra Chamber of Commerce [1965] 55 ITR 722 (SC).
Charity is a voluntary help either in money or kind to the needy. Collective efforts are always more fruitful. Hence, there are various Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and non-profit entities constantly working on charitable activities by raising funds all over the world by forming either an institution or trust.
Efforts of such institutions play a significant role in promoting economic development and the social welfare objectives of the Government. Their outreach and more localised approach helps to identify the needy and lend a supporting hand. For this reason, Indian government has provided various tax incentives and exemptions to charitable institutions, Section 80G being a significant one.
2. Income tax on Charitable Institution or Trust
We have discussed below income tax on various categories of income of charitable trust:
| Category of income | Income subject to tax | Taxability |
| Donations/voluntary contributions | Voluntary contributions with a specific direction to form part of corpus of trust or institution | Exempt* |
| Voluntary contribution without such specific direction | Forms part of income from property held under trust | |
| Anonymous donations i.e., donations where donee does not maintain record of identity/any particulars of the donor | Donation exceeding higher of:
i) 5% of total donations received by trust or ii) Rs 1,00,000 |
Taxed at 30% |
| Anonymous donation received by trust established wholly for religious and charitable purpose on | Taxable in the same manner as voluntary contributions (without specific direction) as above | |
| Income from property held under trust for charitable or religious purpose | Income applied for charitable or religious purpose in India | Exempt* |
| Income accumulated or set aside for the application towards charitable or religious purpose in India | Exempt* to the extent of 15% of such income. This means at-least 85% of income from property to be applied for charitable and religious purpose in India as above and balance 15% can be accumulated or set aside. [See below comment on 85%] | |
| Income from property held under trust created for charitable purpose which tends to promote international welfare in which India is interested | CBDT either by general or special order has directed that such income shall not be included in the total income of trust | Exempt* |
| Capital gain from asset held under trust in whole | Net consideration is utilised fully for acquiring another capital asset | Entire capital gain is deemed to have been applied for charitable and religious purpose and hence is exempt* |
| Net consideration is utilised partially for acquiring another capital asset | Capital gain utilised in excess of cost of old asset transferred is considered to have been applied for charitable and religious purpose and is exempt* |
*Only Charitable/ religious trust or institution registered under Section 12AA enjoys the exemption
3. How should income be applied to be exempt
In order to be exempt, trust is required to apply at-least 85% of its income to charitable or religious purpose in India. As per the definition provided under tax provisions, charitable purpose includes the following:
- Relief of the poor
- Education
- Yoga
- Medical relief
- Preservation of environment (monuments or places or objects of artistic or historic interest
- Advancement of any other object of general public utility. However, if any activity in the nature of trade, commerce or business, or any activity of rendering any service in relation to any trade, commerce or business, for a cess or fee or any other consideration is not considered to be for charitable purposes, irrespective of the nature of use or application, or retention of the income from such activity unless:
- such activity of trade/commerce/business is undertaken in the course of the actual carrying out of such advancement of any other object of general public utility and
- the aggregate receipts from such activity/ activities during the financial year does not exceed 20% of the total receipts of the said trust or institution during that financial year
In addition, income utilised for purchase of capital asset, repayment of loan for purchase of capital asset, revenue expenditure and donation to trust registered under Section 12AA and Section 10(23C) shall also be treated as applied for charitable purposes and hence exempted from tax.
The expression ‘religious purpose’ has not been defined under the Act. Religious purposes are necessarily associated with religion and a matter of faith with individuals or communities.
Religious Purpose includes the advancement, support or propagation of a religion and its tenets. The income of a religious trust or institution is entitled to exemption, though it may be for the benefit of a particular religious community or caste. The exemption under Section 11 is available to public religious trusts only and not to trust for private religious purposes.
4. What if 85% of income is not applied?
If a trust or institution is unable to apply 85% of its income from property held under them, the income is still exempt if the following conditions are met.
- The income is deemed to have been applied for charitable purposes in specified scenarios
- 85% of income is neither applied not deemed to have been applied, the trust is allowed to accumulate such unapplied portion of income under specified conditions to claim the exemption.
Let us understand the 2 scenarios a little more in detail
a) Income deemed to have been applied
- the whole or any part of the income has not been received during the previous year; or
- for any other reason;
the assessee has an option to:
- apply such income referred to in clause (i) for such purposes during the previous year in which it is received or during the previous year immediately following the said previous year
- apply such income referred to in clause (ii) for such purposes during the previous year immediately following the previous year in which the income was derived.
Such option is to be exercised in Form 9A to be furnished electronically with or without digital signature by the trust within the time allowed for filing return of income u/s 139(1).
b) Accumulation of 85% of income of trust
If a minimum of 85% of the income of trust or institution has not applied or deemed to have been applied as above, it is allowed to accumulate or set aside. And such income shall be exempt, if following conditions are satisfied.
- Such trust or institution furnishes Form No. 10 – notice of accumulation of income by charitable trust or institution electronically on or before the due date for filing the return of income
- Mention the purpose for which income is being accumulated or set aside
- Income shall not be accumulated for more than 5 years and years in which income accumulated or set aside due to order or injunction of any court to be excluded in computing 5 years
- Money so accumulated or set aside is invested or deposited in specified mode.
However, if income is not accumulated as above, it is taxable as follows:
| Category of violation | Year of taxation |
| If income is applied for purpose other than charitable or religious | Year of such application |
| Income ceases to be invested as specified | Year in which it ceases to be invested as specified |
| Not utilised for the purpose for which it was accumulated or set aside upto 6 years | 6th year |
| Donated to trust registered under Section 12AA or 10(23C) | Year in which income is so donated |
5. Where should accumulated income be invested?
As mentioned already, income not exceeding 15% can be accumulated or set aside for its application in India. Further, one can even accumulate or set aside 85% of the income, not applied for the specified purpose for its application in India. Such accumulations must be through the following modes of investment:
- Investment in government saving certificate/UTI
- Deposit in post office savings bank/scheduled bank/co-operative bank
- Investment in immovable property
- Investment in any security for money created and issued by the Central or State Government
- Company debentures fully and unconditionally guaranteed by Central or State Government
- Investment or deposit in public sector company
- Deposit with or investment in bonds of a financial corporation or public company (registered in India) engaged in providing long term finance for India’s industrial development
6. Exemption, not to apply in certain cases
No exemption is available to the following incomes of trust/institution:
- Entire income from property held under trust for private religious purpose which does not benefit the public
- Entire income of charitable Trust or institution established for the indirect benefit of any particular religious community or caste
- Entire income, If income (wholly or partly) and property of the charitable or religious trust or institution is used for the benefit of specified person**
- Income of charitable / religious trust is not invested as specified
- Value of medical or educational services made available by any charitable or religious trust running a hospital medical institution or educational institution to specified person**
- Any income being profits and gains of business unless business is incidental to the attainment of the objectives of the trust / institution and separate books of account are maintained in respect of such business
**Specified person for this purpose are as below:
- Author or founder of trust or institution
- Any person who has made substantial contribution i.e., contribution of > Rs 50,000 upto the end of financial year
- In case author, founder or person is HUF, a members of such HUF
- Trustee/ manager of the trust / institution irrespective of their designation nomenclature;
- Any relative of any of such author, founder, person who has made substantial contribution, trustee or manager as specified above
- Any concern in which any of the above specified persons has substantial interest i.e., total contribution of > 50% upto the end of financial year
