Updated on: Jul 1st, 2023
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8 min read
The Finance Act, 2020 and 2021 introduced changes to the law pertaining to the registration and approval of trusts under the Income-tax Act, 1961 (ITA). Section 12AB has been inserted to make the registration process of trusts effective.
As per this, trusts are required to move from the earlier Section 12AA to the new provision of Section 12AB and obtain a fresh registration, which came into effect from April 1, 2021.
Trusts are basically of two types: public trust and private trust. Public trust is further categorised into public charitable trust and public religious trust.
Trusts can avail of income tax exemptions and benefits under Section 12A, Section 12AA, and Section 80G of the ITA. Section 12A applies to both public charitable as well as public religious trusts (excluding trust/fund whose purpose is to benefit a particular community, caste or section).
The old Form No. 10 and Form No. 10G for Section 80G registration have been abolished. A new Form No. 10A with 21 points has been introduced, which is to be used primarily for two purposes.
In the case of approved trusts, Form No. 10A is to be used for making an application for re-registration.
Further, newly created trusts can use Form No. 10A for making an application for provisional registration.
A trust already registered, as per the earlier IT law, before April 1, 2021, the time limit is June 30, 2021. This is three months from which the provision came into effect.
In case of a trust that wishes to apply for a fresh registration or approval under the new IT law, the time limit is one month prior to the commencement of the previous year relevant to the assessment year from which the new approval is sought.
A newly created trust will be provided with a provisional registration, which will be valid for three years. Also, such trust needs to apply for permanent registration six months prior to completion of this three-year validity period or within six months of commencement of activities, whichever is earlier. For example, a newly-formed trust received certification on 1st April 2021 and commenced activities on 1st June 2021. The provisional registration will remain valid until 1st April 2024, but the trust would be required to apply for final registration before 30th November 2021(within six months of commencement of activities) through Form 10AB.
On the other hand, for the approved trusts, the permanent registration, once granted, will be valid for five years. Such trusts need to apply for renewal of registration six months before completing this five-year validity period.
Trust can be created by:
Any individual or entity capable of entering into contracts, such as individuals, Associations of Persons (AOPs), Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs), businesses, and so on.
If a trust is being established for or on behalf of a minor, it is essential to obtain the consent of a Principal Civil Court with original jurisdiction.
Additionally, the ability to create a trust depends on the prevailing laws at the time and the extent to which the trust's creator intends to distribute their assets.
Basically, there are six sections in Form No. 10A and relevant details are required to be filled in pertaining to incorporation and constitution, other registration, key persons, assets and liabilities, income and religious activities.
You need to click each of these sections one by one and key in the details. The new e-filing portal requires you to fill the information section-wise after which the data has to be saved. This is unlike the earlier version, where you had to fill in all the information in a single go. Also, most details are in auto-populated form.
While filing the incorporation and constitution section, you are required to provide the date of incorporation/creation or registration, which is mandatory now.
The attachments of annual accounts for immediately preceding three financial years were mandatory earlier. It is not the case in the new portal.
The documents, which are required to be uploaded along with Form No. 10A include self-certified copies of the:
Note: While attaching the required documents, the size of each document should not exceed 5MB and all the attachments together cannot exceed 50MB.
No, you will be required to file it twice after selecting the relevant ‘Section Code’ under the incorporation and constitution details on the portal.
According to the provisions laid down in the IT Act, if an organisation incurs any expenditure which is religious in nature and it exceeds 5% of the total income for that particular year, such an organisation shall be ineligible for registration under Section 80G.
No, if the return has been filed before the due date, it is not required. However, it is still advisable to upload the attachments related to the details of accounts.
The Principal Commissioner of Income Tax (PCIT) or Commissioner of Income Tax (CIT) on receipt of an application in Form No. 10A shall pass an order in writing granting an approval in Form No. 10AC. A 16-digit alphanumeric unique registration number (URN) will be issued to an applicant.
The PCIT or CIT will suitably provide an opportunity of being heard or demand further documents from an applicant if needed. If the said officer finds anything inconsistent, then may cancel the approval granted in Form No. 10A and URN, and such approval in Form No. 10AC shall be deemed to have never been granted or issued.
The Finance Acts of 2020 and 2021 introduced changes in trust registration under the Income-tax Act, 1961, with the enactment of Section 12AB. Trusts must transition from Section 12AA to 12AB for fresh registration. Trusts can benefit from tax exemptions under various sections. Filing Form No. 10A online requires detailed information and specific attachments. Trust registration is vital for legal recognition, tax compliance, transparency, and trust property ownership.